I'm going to start a thread on summer pictures.

















Paul

Who knows what this plant is?



Paul

Yeah, but the name escapes me at the moment. Tordon/Amine2-4-D will take care of it though. If you don't it ill take over. It likes it where there is good soil and will grow where nothing else will (heaps of horse, cow poop)

Do the seeds form in a brown cluster on a longer (than the leaves) stalk, say 12-18 inches tall (or taller depending on moisture?)

Also, the pictures turned GINORMOUS for some reason

RJ

Not sure what the issue with "big" picture is, RJ. Still looks the same from my end.

That plant is horseradish - Armoracia rusticana. I bought some root-stock off of Ebay that was supposedly from the "high country" in Colorado, and therefore hardy enough for Alaska. What you see in the picture is the third year's growth, but the first was no different, and it hasn't spread. Much to my displeasure. I WANT it to spread out!

I taste-tested the greens, and they have the same flavor as the root but without the heat. They also have a fairly strong "green" taste, but the horseradish flavor is strong enough that I still use them as a replacement for lettuce in sandwiches in summer. Their taste doesn't seem to survive boiling, freezing or drying; the methods I have tried in order to preserve them. As usual, the early, young leaves are better tasting and not as tough as the later, older ones.

Horseradish is one of those "garden" plants than I prefer to grow because:
1) It is easy to get started. In fact, I would have simply gone to the grocery store and bought a piece of root to get started, but I wanted to make sure that I had a cold-hardy variety.
2) It is easy to grow. I do know of people that complain that it will 'take over' if not monitored. "Taking over" works for me. I hate plants that I have to 'encourage' to grow.
3) It produces something I like to eat. From my perspective, it 'repays' my efforts to propagate it. As a general rule, I don't like plants that don't give me something in return for my efforts to keep it alive. The leaves as 'greens' is just a bonus.
4) It's easy to harvest. The leaves are obvious. The root is harvested once a year, taking most of it and returning enough to generate for next season.

Another plant I like is the nasturtium that can be seen among the pictures in the OP. It makes beautiful, and copious flowers, and its great to eat - flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds! And it grows like a weed. Unfortunately, not perennial in AK, so I have to re-seed every spring.

AND... the moose won't eat the horseradish OR the nasturtium!

Paul

Dad was a horseradish guy. It grew wild in the Ruby Valley (MT) along the irrigation ditches and I helped harvest it a few times. Dad would grind it using Mom's hand crank grinder and MAN was it potent! You darn sure didn't want to rub your eyes during grinding or for a week after  :cry: Like the old Brylcreem ads said "A little dab will do ya"  that was also true of Dad's horseradish sauce He'd ladle it on pork chops like gravy and beads of sweat would break out on his forehead. I could never use that much, but I really liked the flavor. It was also good on trout wrapped in foil and thrown on a camp fire or the grill.

RJ

I love horseradish. It's much like growing rhubarb & requires very little if any cultivation. Both do good if fertilized with manure of any kind. Especially chicken manure. The only good ground horseradish in my general area is Steele's horseradish made by a small company in Cincinnati. Absolutely delicious on roast beef sandwiches using dark rye bread topped with brown gravy & a frosty mug of beer. Steele's horseradish will literally light your fire. .......Paul H

How about a Buttercup and a pair of Daisies in flower on Christmas day?
Noticed these while out with doggo this afternoon...





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Very nice!

Paul