Do horseradish seeds exist?

I’m struggling to find anything besides the information “they rarely produce seeds"

And then absolutely nothing else from the first several pages of Google.

Does anyone know anything besides that?

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I did some research on this topic some years ago as I produce and sell horseradish in my nursery. My goal was to get a more diverse population and not only rely on cloning (which is extremely easy, so you can understand why the interest in seed is so small).

I haven’t harvested horseradish seed myself. According to Wedelsbäck (2014), only 3% of all horseradish plants set seed.

My assumption was that the lack of seed might have to do with self-incompatability, so that it would be useful to have genetically different plants flowering next to each other. I made some trips around the suburbs looking for plants in ditches where plant nurseries had been before. I’m growing several clones now in my nursery, but stopped focusing on this project that I don’t look for seed at the end of season.

Looking in my notes, I can see that horseradish are tetraploid (again Wedelsbäck 2014). I wonder if this is the reason that they are often infertile.

Source: Wedelsbäck Bladh, K. (2014). Biodiversity in nordic horseradish (Armoracia rusticana).

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Hmmm… that has me thinking.

I introduced hubby to horseradish sauce, the creamy stuff, and he loves it. So, I might be able to convince him to let me purchase some roots to get started. I’d come by your nursery, but the ocean will prevent me from driving over, alas! :rofl:

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https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article-abstract/40/8/223/947779?redirectedFrom=PDF

You’d have to reach out to get the full article but this looks like it would have some solid information as the first page talks about being able to have viable pollen after collecting and growing out multiple cultivars!

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That looks fascinating. It’s old enough and gone wild some how, but is a hybrid. :rofl:

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I was expecting EFN to have some in their crop archive, but I couldn’t find any.

@Cultivariable Bill Whitson is selling some. He always has cool stuff.

Horseradish, Sibling Mix, 100 seeds – Cultivariable

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Found it! EFN did offer seed in the past:

True Horseradish Seed – Experimental Farm Network Seed Store

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That is so cool. Good finds @JonathanDeRevonah. If anyone in Europe gets ahold of those kinds of seeds (or any of you Americans get it and know someone who will travel here), I for one would be very happy to grow out some and do a seed increase for others here.

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That is interesting, it definitely gives me something to model my efforts after. I’m privileged enough to live where plenty of people still grow it and abandoned homesteads. I’m also moving across the country so I should be able to scrounge up what little diversity is left to try something similar! That’s definitely going to be my objective this summer.

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Hi I think https://www.cultivariable.com/ have seeds

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I should not…I should not…I should not…

I did. Sigh.

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