When to plant horseradish in Anchorage, Alaska

March 20 – April 3

Transplant outdoors · typical Anchorage year

Climate basis: NOAA station Anchorage Merrill Fld, AK (USW00026409), 0 mi (0 km) from downtown Anchorage (ZCTA 99501 centroid), elevation 138 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Transplant horseradish outdoors from approximately the dates above, anchored to the median last spring 32°F freeze (May 1). One year in ten still freezes after May 9.

Last spring freezeMay 11-in-10 after May 9
First fall freezeSeptember 291-in-10 before Sep 17
Frost-free season150 daysmedian at 32°F
Hard freeze, 28°Apr 19Oct 8kills even hardy greens
USDA zone5a-20 to -15°F winter low not frost timing

The Anchorage year

Transplant outdoorsMar 20 – Apr 3
  • indoors under lights
  • in the garden
  • frost-free season
  • 1-in-10 years still freeze to May 9
Horseradish in Anchorage · freeze context from Anchorage Merrill Fld, AK, 1991–2020 normals.

Every method, with its sources

Transplant outdoors

Mar 20 – Apr 3

Purdue Extension HO-186-W Table 1 places horseradish in the group headed "Hardy (tolerates hard frost) plant 4-6 weeks before last spring frost," and footnotes it as typically vegetatively propagated, so the six-to-four-week pre-frost window is applied to setting out root cuttings rather than to seed; no other extension source located gives a frost-anchored horseradish planting date, so there was nothing to reconcile against. Anchored to the median last spring freeze (May 1). Purdue University Extension, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Start seeds indoors

Not calculated

The cited extension guides do not time an indoor seed-starting window for this crop.

Direct-sow outdoors

Not calculated

The cited extension guides do not time direct sowing for this crop.

Fall planting

Not calculated

No source-backed fall planting rule exists for this crop in the registry, so no fall window is calculated.

Variety assumption: Assumes planting purchased root cuttings or sets of a standard variety such as Common or Bohemian, lifted the following fall after frost.

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

This week, not a typical year:
Crop rule sources (1)

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