Before planting, dig at least 2 feet down into the ground, loosening packed clay or subsoil as you go, and if you are a perfectionist you may want to sieve the soil, removing hard lumps or dead roots.
If the subsoil is too heavy, mix some coarse sand in with it before returning it to the hole, together with compost, and a few handfuls of blood and bone about a foot below the surface. Plant your horseradish seedling with its stem base about an inch below the soil surface and keep it well watered during its growth. The leaves as they grow have several different shapes, varying from plant to plant. Some are deeply toothed and rather stiff, others resemble spinach but are a paler green, and still others have almost no leaf stem at all, seeming to come straight from the root stock.
Snails love horseradish, and they will strip the leaves to skeletons unless a lookout is constantly kept.
The roots should be dug at the end of the first growing season, and the thick tap root separated from the others. Scrub it, and cut it into strips about i inch wide to facilitate drying. It can then be dried on a tray in a cool oven (watch this carefully to avoid overheating or roasting). When completely dry, the root slivers will be quite brittle, and will snap when bent. Store these strips in a glass jar lined with tissue paper, and grate when needed.
The smaller root pieces can be cut into 3- or 4-inch lengths and replanted with the top about an inch below the soil surface. Rub off all but one strong shoot when regrowth begins, to give you only one crown and a single unbranched root. The herb needs plenty of water at all stages of its growth to keep the root fleshy and prevent any woodiness.
If you do not wish to dry the roots, store them after washing in white wine vinegar. They can be grated as required. Do not use cider vinegar for this; it will discolour the roots to a dark brown.
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