Horseradish

A contained brute: horseradish grown in a 10 gallon bag because in open ground it would annex the yard. Roots dug after October frost grind into a sauce with real menace.

Growing

Plant root cuttings in April, angled, buds up, in a 10 gallon or larger bag or a buried bin; containment is not optional, since any inch of root left behind becomes a new colony. Full sun to part shade, water in drought, and otherwise ignore it while the big leaves do their work. Frost sharpens the root, so dig from mid October into November. Tip the whole bag out, take the main roots, and replant one cutting to restart next year's supply.

Varieties

Sets are usually sold unnamed and grow fine; Maliner Kren is the strain most often behind the label.

Pests

Flea beetles and imported cabbageworms both find the leaves, horseradish being a brassica under all that attitude, and neither touches the root; the damage stays cosmetic. Nothing else volunteers to eat it.

In the kitchen

Grate outdoors or regret it; vinegar added immediately keeps the heat polite, while waiting three minutes sharpens it considerably. A jar in the fridge covers roast beef, cocktail sauce, and Bloody Marys until spring.