horseradish dissappointment, why?

My dad, a consummate gardener, has a long-established bed of horseradish. He yanks it out when it spreads too far. Anyway, I believe the OP said that this is first-year growth. That’s your problem right there.

When it was my job to go out & pick a root to grate into the nightly salad, I noticed right away that the older, thicker roots were much stronger than the new, pencil-thin ones. If you can put up with the native unruliness of horseradish in your garden, it will get stronger over time.

If you’re anywhere within driving distance, don’t miss it.

And remember, it’s pronounced HORSHrish. All the other letters are silent.