Dream Lands Design
  • Home Improvement
    • DIY
    • Remodeling
    • Woodworking
    • Accessories
    • Home Design
      • Furniture
      • Organize
      • Tips
      • Decor
        • Interior
        • Exterior
  • Design Ideas
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen
  • Gardening
    • Backyard
    • Front Yard
    • Landscaping
  • Home Improvement
    • DIY
    • Remodeling
    • Woodworking
    • Accessories
    • Home Design
      • Furniture
      • Organize
      • Tips
      • Decor
        • Interior
        • Exterior
  • Design Ideas
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen
  • Gardening
    • Backyard
    • Front Yard
    • Landscaping

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Backyard
  • Bathroom
  • Beauty
  • Bedroom
  • Cars
  • Decor
  • Design Ideas
  • Dining Room
  • DIY
  • Entertaining
  • Exterior
  • Finance
  • Front Yard
  • Furniture
  • Gardening
  • Green Living
  • Home Design
  • Home Improvement
  • Interior
  • Kitchen
  • Landscaping
  • Lifestyle
  • Living
  • Living Room
  • Organize
  • Photography
  • Real Estate
  • Remodeling
  • Tips
  • Uncategorized
  • Wall Improvement
  • Woodworking

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
29K
98K
0
Dream Lands Design
  • Home Improvement
    • DIY
    • Remodeling
    • Woodworking
    • Accessories
    • Home Design
      • Furniture
      • Organize
      • Tips
      • Decor
        • Interior
        • Exterior
  • Design Ideas
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen
  • Gardening
    • Backyard
    • Front Yard
    • Landscaping
Featured of How to Grow Tarragon: How to Find, Plant and Care for French Tarragon
You're here: Home Gardening A How-to Guide to Growing French Tarragon

A How-to Guide to Growing French Tarragon

  • Perla Irish
  • November 23, 2017
Total
167
Shares
1
0
166
0
0
Table of Contents Hide
  1. How to Grow Tarragon: How to Find, Plant and Care for French Tarragon
  2. The Quest for French Tarragon
  3. How to Tell if It’s French Tarragon
  4. Soil and Water Needs of French Tarragon
  5. Propagation
  6. Pests, Diseases, and Overwintering
  7. Final Thoughts (How to Grow Tarragon)
    1. References on How to Grow Tarragon

How to Grow Tarragon. – The hardest part about growing tarragon is finding the right kind! French tarragon is the true tarragon used to flavor vinegars and to impart its unique anise-like taste to eggs, fish, tomatoes, and more.

Learn how to find real french tarragon plants, how to grow french tarragon and how to care for them in your garden or indoors.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Tarragon, also known as estragon, is a species of perennial herb in the sunflower family. ” quote=”Tarragon, also known as estragon, is a species of perennial herb in the sunflower family. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America, and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes.” theme=”style5″]

How to Grow Tarragon: How to Find, Plant and Care for French Tarragon

Pic of How to Grow Tarragon - (How to Find, Plant and Care for French Tarragon)
How to Grow Tarragon (How to Find, Plant and Care for French Tarragon)

The Quest for French Tarragon

Béarnaise sauce uses it. The French herb blend known as fines herbes has it. A soup’s bouquet garni, a bundle of (usually) fresh herbs tied together with kitchen string, often contains it. It flavors eggs, fish, turkey, and tomatoes with panache.

Entrecote with Bearnaise sauce and Vegetables. (How to Grow Tarragon)
Entrecote, Bearnaise sauce, Vegetables. (How to Grow Tarragon)

“It” is tarragon, a culinary herb prized for its pungent, anise-like flavor. So why is it so hard to find tarragon to grow? The answer lies in the nature of tarragon itself. True tarragon, the tarragon we think of when imagining that unique flavor it imparts, is known as French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus).

There are other tarragon varieties often sold to unsuspecting gardeners as the real thing, but they are actually very different and much milder in flavor. The most common “wrong” tarragon sold to gardeners is Russian tarragon, less flavorful than French tarragon and considered a weed by many for its tendency to self-seed and spread without abandon.

The mistaken belief that all tarragons are created equal is prevalent even amongst supposedly knowledgeable heirloom seed providers. I was dismayed last year to find that one of my favorite, and highly reputable, heirloom/organic seed catalogs was selling Russian tarragon seed (Artemisia dracunculoides) as the real thing. The main trick on how to grow tarragon is finding the real thing.

Must Read:

  • Is Your Grass Dying Every Spring? Too Much Sidewalk Salt May Be the Problem
  • Best Lawn Care and Maintenance Tips for Your Garden
  • Garden Weeds Identification, How to Get rid of Weeds in Grass
  • Top Five Vegetable Gardening Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

How to Tell if It’s French Tarragon

How can you tell if you are planting true, French tarragon? There are two ways to tell.

  1. French tarragon is sold by plant, not by seeds. French tarragon is nearly impossible to grow from seed, and is propagated through cuttings or by dividing plants. Look for French tarragon plants, not seeds, to put into your garden.
  2. Not only do the fresh leaves of French tarragon have a distinctive anise-like taste, they also make your tongue tingle, and impart a temporary numbing sensation in the mouth when chewed. Once you find a plant labeled French tarragon at your garden center, pinch off a leaf and bite it. The area of your tongue exposed to the cut leaf should tingle and feel a bit numbed almost immediately. If you don’t notice a strong flavor or any numbing sensation at all, it’s probably not the real thing.

The best way to procure true French tarragon for growing is to go to your locally-owned garden center. They are the most likely source for real plants. With the tips above, you should be able to avoid impostors.

French Tarragon Plants - How to Grow Tarragon
French Tarragon Plants (How to Grow Tarragon)

[clickToTweet tweet=”Did you know? – Tarragon propagates via root cuttings, rhizome sprouts and stem division.” quote=”Did you know? – Tarragon propagates via root cuttings, rhizome sprouts and stem division.” theme=”style1″]

Soil and Water Needs of French Tarragon

Tracking down a true French tarragon plant is half the battle. Tarragon itself is a woody, pretty hardy perennial that isn’t too finicky.

Soil and Water Needs of French Tarragon - How to Grow Tarragon
Soil and Water Needs of French Tarragon (How to Grow Tarragon)

Like most plants, tarragon does prefer a rich and well-drained, neutral pH soil, but it will fare well in somewhat poorer soils as well. You should incorporate 1 to 2 inches of compost into the soil before you plant your herbs.

Tarragon doesn’t like to be very wet, so don’t over water — tarragon, with its tangled bundle of web-like roots, is susceptible to root rot, and would rather be a bit dry than a bit wet. Let the soil dry out well between waterings.

French tarragon will grow up to 2 feet tall. It has a bushy habitat and will grow to 1 to 2 feet in diameter. It needs full sun to do its best and likes warm or hot weather. It does not need special fertilizer — simply plant it in a good soil and it will be happiest.

Must Read:

  • Kid-Friendly Gardening Ideas, Make Your Kid Fall in Love With Gardening
  • Can The Correct Led Grow Lights Increase Plant Resin Production?
  • Growing Vegetables: How to Grow Squash – Tips and Troubleshooting
  • Easy to Grow Vegetables, The Way to Grow Plants Naturally

Propagation

After a few years, tarragon will become rootbound, even when planted outside a pot. French tarragon should be divided at least every 3 to 4 years to reinvigorate the plants — flavor will suffer if plants are not divided. Potted tarragon should be divided yearly to keep the roots from outgrowing the pot.

Pests, Diseases, and Overwintering

French tarragon is easy to care for, suffering few pest problems. Why is a mystery, but its anise flavor may be unpleasant to predators. French tarragon also tends to be disease free.

French tarragon can be overwintered outdoors in cold regions if care is taken. Cut the plant down to the roots after a frost and cold weather has set in — after leaves and other visible growth have turned brown — and cover it generously with mulch to protect the roots during the winter.

Alternatively, you can bring potted French tarragon indoors for winter. Try to wait until the plant appears to have died — tarragon needs a 2-month period of “dormancy” in order to rest and reinvigorate itself. Bring it in, and within a few weeks your “dead” French tarragon plant will have sprung back to life. Keep it in a sunny window.

Final Thoughts (How to Grow Tarragon)

Most of the trick on how to grow tarragon is finding real French tarragon plants and avoiding inferior impostors. Hands-on care of tarragon is actually quite worry-free, with most attention given to dividing the plants regularly to ensure their continued vigor.

Must Read:

  • Harvesting Pumpkins and Gourds, How to Grow Pumpkins Successfully
  • Strawberry Plants Care: Planting, Growing and Harvesting Strawberry Plants
  • Growing Corn: How to Plant Corn – Cultivation, Harvest, Diseases and Insects Control
  • Gardening Tips For The Perfect Backyard

References on How to Grow Tarragon

  • From Garden to Table: Harvesting Herbs for Healthy Eating; By Ronald C. Smith, Ph.D., & Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., : https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/food-nutrition/from-garden-to-table-harvesting-herbs-for-healthy-eating/h1267.pdf
  • French Tarragon in the Garden; By Benjamin Hudson and Dan Drost; How to Grow Tarragon; http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/Horticulture_Garden_2009-02.pdf

Image Credits

  • Entrecote with bearnaise sauce and vegetables; http://www.flickr.com/photos/42912005@N07/4342067278/
  • 32-6 tarragon; https://www.flickr.com/photos/50691684@N00/280159972/
  • Pesto Basil, Rosemary, French Tarragon and Chives; https://www.flickr.com/photos/88979981@N00/3672770123/
  • Tarragon on how to grow tarragon; https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdfalk/203618280
Total
167
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 166
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • gardening
  • growing
  • vegetables

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

You May Also Like
featured image - The Flower Vase Challenge: A Fun and Creative Way to Arrange Your Flowers
View Post

The Flower Vase Challenge: A Fun and Creative Way to Arrange Your Flowers

  • March 19, 2023
Featured image - 4 Reasons Custom Candles Make the Best Wedding Favors
View Post

4 Reasons Custom Candles Make the Best Wedding Favors

  • February 16, 2023
Featured image - How to Build a Wooden Planter Box Easy
View Post

Bring Your Deck to Life With These DIY Wooden Planter Boxes

  • February 13, 2023
Featured image - How to use Sandwich Cutters for Better Results
View Post

How to use Sandwich Cutters for Better Results

  • February 12, 2023
featured image - 6 Tips for Using Informed Delivery with Direct Mail
View Post

6 Tips for Using Informed Delivery with Direct Mail

  • January 30, 2023
Featured image - How to Take Proper Care of Indoor Plants?
View Post

How to Take Proper Care of Indoor Plants?

  • January 17, 2023
featured image - Create a Sensory Garden from Upcycled Home Goods - Simple DIY Ideas
View Post

Create a Sensory Garden from Upcycled Home Goods – Simple DIY Ideas

  • January 8, 2023
featured image - Customized Garden Flags How to Clean Garden Flags
View Post

Customized Garden Flags: How to Clean Garden Flags

  • December 31, 2022
1 comment
  1. Sandy says:
    June 19, 2019 at 8:38 am

    Thank you for the wonderful information. I have lots of plants that look like tarragon none make mt tongue tingle. Now I know how to find it.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dream Lands Design
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Add Dream Lands Design to your Homescreen!

Add