When to plant horseradish in Seattle, Washington

January 30 – February 13

Transplant outdoors · typical Seattle year

Climate basis: NOAA station Seattle Boeing Fld, WA (USW00024234), 5 mi (8 km) from downtown Seattle (ZCTA 98104 centroid), elevation 20 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Transplant horseradish outdoors from approximately the dates above, anchored to the median last spring 32°F freeze (March 13). One year in ten still freezes after April 1.

Last spring freezeMarch 131-in-10 after Apr 1
First fall freezeNovember 171-in-10 before Nov 1
Frost-free season247 daysmedian at 32°F
Hard freeze, 28°Feb 18Dec 2kills even hardy greens
USDA zone9a20 to 25°F winter low not frost timing

The Seattle year

Transplant outdoorsJan 30 – Feb 13
  • indoors under lights
  • in the garden
  • frost-free season
  • 1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 1
Horseradish in Seattle · freeze context from Seattle Boeing Fld, WA, 1991–2020 normals.

Every method, with its sources

Transplant outdoors

Jan 30 – Feb 13

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 (Mar 13). 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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