Tarragon is one of my most easily grown herbs. I say this because it wasn’t always this way. Our home garden soil tends to be wet and cold in winter. Tarragon dies back in winter and is often the slowest plant to reappear in late spring. After a particularly cold wet winter we may not see it at all. The photo below was taken in early November shortly before harvesting.
The solution is to grow it in a container. Drainage when using potting soil is no longer a problem, the container warms early in the spring and you’ll harvest tarragon all season. Best of all, if you have a division or a small container bring it indoors in January when foliage has died back and soon vigorous delicious shoots will appear.
Tarragon’s roots will tightly intertwine and it can choke itself out if not divided every one to two years. If planting in the ground pick a sunny well-drained location. Plants benefit from a good fertilizing at the start of the growing season. Work some crab meal or aged chicken manure into your soil. I recommend container gardeners fertilize with fish emulsion
French tarragon does not set seed, so don’t be tempted to buy a seed packet. It will be Russian tarragon which is nearly tasteless. Regular using and cutting of plants early in the season develops a desirable compact growth habit. Later I will post some cooking hints for this classic herb
Filed under: garden, Gardening, Greetings From The Garden, herb gardens, herbs | Tagged: container gardening, herb gardening, tarragon |
The Gardener's Pantry 
This is the first year I am trying to grow tarragon. I planted it in a well drained location in my back yard, albeit it is only part-sun (I read in other places that tarragon tolerates up to part shade).
It seems to be doing okay, the only concern being about 4 weeks after being planted, instead of growing upwards, it started to lean down to the ground with the top 1/4 of the tips turning upwards.
Is this normal or a sign of disease?
Tarragon can be a bit floppy especially in shade. It doesn’t seem to affect the flavor or vigor of the plant.