Have you heard about Horseradish?
Horseradish in its fresh form is absolutely delicious and very easy to grow. It has a pungent smell and taste. It’s a root vegetable. Due to the multiple compounds present in the root, it provides various health benefits including antibacterial and anticancer effects. Hence along with using it as a condiment for thousands of years, it has been used for its medicinal benefits too.
Horseradish is a cruciferous vegetable alongside wasabi, mustard, broccoli, cabbage and kale. It has been believed to have originated in Eastern Europe. It has green leaves and long white roots. Mustard Oil is formed when the root is cut and an enzyme breaks down a compound calledSinigrin. The oil is calledallylisothiocyanate, it gives horseradish telltale odor with taste and it may irritate your nose, eyes and throat.
Related Post: A Complete Guide to Grow Horseradish in Containers
Horseradish is eaten in a small quantity, since the serving in small it is low in calories but contains a lot of minerals and plant compounds. In this article let’s see what all plants can be grown alongside with horseradish.
Companion planting
Companion planting in agriculture and gardening is a way of planting different plants within the same proximity to aid various growth benefits including pollination, pest control, providing beneficial insect’s habitats, space management and to increase the crop productivity.
As we know that horseradish has many beneficial properties including antibacterial effects it is a boon for other plants to have companion planting alongside horseradish. The oil release from the plant curtails infection and controls fungal and microbial development.
Companion Plants for Horseradish
Due to its excellent insect repellent properties, horseradish can ward off many diseases in the plants. For this reason, potatoes grow very well alongwith horseradish. When horseradish is grown along with potatoes it helps to ward off many insects and bugs from potatoes which could have affected the growth of potatoes. Growth of insects like caterpillars, potato bugs, potato beetles, blister beetles can be completely curbed with the help of horseradish.
Since horseradish grows rapidly one must take care to plant it on the corner of the patch as it can even spread from the tiniest root left in the ground and can easily cover the entire area leaving very less space for the companion plant to flourish.
Just like potatoes sweet potatoes gets the same benefits from horseradish’s companionship.
Similarly, herbs like asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb are tiny and fragile plants that are easily infected by insects and rodents spoiling the full grown cultivation. Growing horseradish along with them can prevent this misfortune and will help the rodents and insects to be away from the plant allowing the plant to attain their full growth easily.
Not only shrubs and undergrounds, horseradishes also make a good pair with fruit trees.
Fruits trees which usually get attacked by rodents and bugs can be saved by growing horseradish as their companions. The amazing antifungal and antibacterial properties of horseradish along with its oil release act as an amazing insect repellent. It deters birds and small rodents like mice and moles. Hence the fruits are saved from being eaten up!
Not just as a companion even as a standalone horseradish is very beneficial for humans too. Its anticancer property can be a boon for us.
Due to the fast and packaged food lifestyle cancer is rapidly growing and using horseradish in our diet can help us to keep cancer away. It is low in calories and rich in other minerals and hence it’s not even going to affect the health conscious people’s diet. So when are you considering to grow horseradish in your garden?