RIDGEDALE FARM AB

The Blog...

  • Home
    • Contact Us
    • Getting to the Farm
  • About
    • About Us
    • Design at ridgedale
    • Permaculture
    • Keyline Design
    • Managing Holistically
    • Agroforestry
    • Reading List
    • Past Co Teachers
  • Training on farm
    • 4 day Market Gardening WALES Apr '23
    • Regen Ag Design WALES Jul 2023
    • Feedback from students
    • Refunds Policy
  • Read our book
  • Online Courses
  • Hire Richard for trainings
  • Our Account Terms

29/12/2013

Perennial Plant Profiles...

0 Comments

Read Now
 
PictureArmoracia rusticana, horseradish
We can think of at least 180 great forest garden & perennial crops for cold climate Sweden.  Want to hear about them? Over the course of the next year we will profile 5 a week on the blog. Perennial plants and crops offer a low energy, oil & resource input based foundation for future-proof agricultures. By default if an agriculture is to be called regenerative the bottom line is that it must be soil building, not soil depleting. Relentless deep tillage & poor soil husbandry (wifery?!) contributes to the majority of the 24 billion tons of topsoil lost every year on planet water.  We are going to be focused on holistic polyculture grazing and perennial production at ridgedale over most of the site as this represents the most effective way to restore our degraded landscape, produce high value produce and ensure the future resource base we are managing holistically for in our decision making. 

Picture
Genus Armoracia 
Species rusticana 
Common Name horseradish
Form herb
Habit clumping
Origin Europe
Light sun
Moisture mesic
Edible culinary
Other dynamic accumulator

Horseradish has been cultivated since antiquity. According to Greek mythology, the Delphic Oracle told Apollo that the horseradish was worth its weight in gold. Horseradish was known in Egypt in 1500 BC. Dioscorides listed horseradish under Thlaspi or Persicon; Cato discusses the plant in his treatises on agriculture, and a mural in Pompeii shows the plant.

Large quantities of this plant can be poisonous due to its content of volatile oils. Traditional texts suggested possible thyroid function depression. Contraindicated with chronic nephritis, hepatitis, gastro-oesophageal reflux or hyperacidity conditions, and inflammatory bowel conditions. Avoid during pregnancy and lactation (moderate amounts with food ok).

Young root can be eaten raw or cooked. The grated root is used to make the condiment 'Horseradish sauce', this has a hot mustard-like flavour. The sauce is best used uncooked or gently warmed, heating it will destroy the volatile oils that are responsible for its pungency.

The root is a rich source of sulphur. Fresh roots contain the glycoside sinigrin - this is decomposed in the presence of water by the enzyme myrosin, producing mustard oil which gives the root its hot flavour. The fleshy roots can be up to 60cm long and 5cm thick. The plant is fully hardy and can be left in the ground all winter to be harvested as required. Alternatively, the roots can be harvested in early winter and stored for later use, they will retain their juicy state for some time if stored in dry sand. 

Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. A very strong flavour, though nice when added in small quantities to the salad bowl.  Seeds can be sprouted and eaten in salads.

Horseradish is a very pungent stimulant herb that controls bacterial infections and can be used both internally and externally. The plant is a powerful stimulant, whether used internally as a spur for the digestive system or externally as a rubefacient. It should not be used internally by people with stomach ulcers or thyroid problems. The roots are antiseptic, aperient, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, rubefacient and stimulant. They should be used in their fresh state. An infusion is used in the treatment of colds, fevers and flu and is of value in the treatment of respiratory and urinary tract infections. A sandwich of the freshly grated root is a traditional remedy for hay fever. 

The plant is antibiotic against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and also pathogenic fungi. It is experimentally antitumor. Externally, a poultice made from the roots is used to treat pleurisy, arthritis and infected wounds.

OUR FRIENDS AT PFAF HAVE AN AMAZING DATABASE OF SPECIES (UK BASED);

Armoracia rusticana

Last couple of days to sign up to our newsletter if you want to be in to win a free copy of the awesome Edible Forest Garden manual

Picture
Sign up to our newsletter for articles/ updates you choose & fortnightly awesome book giveaways... We're going to celebrate 2014 by giving away a copy of Edible Forest Gardens 1 & 2 to thank our subscribers.  These books are epic to say the least, make sure you sign up to our customizable newsletter for details...  Seasons greetings!


Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

Details

    Like us on FB Below for regular updates

    the best twitter wall
    Stay up to date with customized updates you want to receive
    Picture

    Upcoming courses

    Sell Tickets through Eventbrite

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2016
    November 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    October 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013

    Categories

    All
    10 Week Internship
    Agroforestry
    Animals
    Buying A Farm
    Compost
    Courses
    Cows
    Design
    Dynamic Accumulator
    Free Giveaway!
    Fungi
    Future Proof
    Future Proof
    Future- Proof
    Grafting
    Holistic Management
    Keyline Design
    Managing Holistically
    Money & Finance
    Monitoring Holistically
    Natural Building
    Nitrogen Fixers
    Open Source
    PDC
    Perennial Plant Profiles
    Perennial Plant Profiles
    Positions Vacant
    Produce
    Regenerative Enterprise
    Soil Food Web
    Trainings
    Tree Systems
    Useful Climbers
    Useful Groundcovers
    Useful Herbs
    Useful Herbs
    Useful Roots
    Useful Shrubs
    Useful Shrubs
    Useful Trees
    Useful Trees
    Value Adding
    Volunteer
    We Like Well Engineered Stuff...
    When Things Don't Go To Plan...
    Your Voice
    Yurts & Gers

    RSS Feed

 Copyright 2014-2021   Ridgedale Farm AB   Org no. 559095-3344        Farming, Innovating & Educating for the benefit of all                
  • Home
    • Contact Us
    • Getting to the Farm
  • About
    • About Us
    • Design at ridgedale
    • Permaculture
    • Keyline Design
    • Managing Holistically
    • Agroforestry
    • Reading List
    • Past Co Teachers
  • Training on farm
    • 4 day Market Gardening WALES Apr '23
    • Regen Ag Design WALES Jul 2023
    • Feedback from students
    • Refunds Policy
  • Read our book
  • Online Courses
  • Hire Richard for trainings
  • Our Account Terms