Chives, parsley and thyme are a must in the kitchen. Don't forget tarragon. This is totally easy to care for and can be grown by yourself.
Spicy tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is an asset to any kitchen. Fortunately, maintenance is not difficult and success is almost certain if you do not make easily avoidable mistakes. Read our care tips so that the tarragon develops splendidly in your garden.
Soil and location for tarragon
Tarragon thrives best in full sun. Partial shade is tolerated, but expect slightly weaker growth. The soil at the site should be well loosened and have a relatively high humus content and a soil pH of 6 to 7.
If you have compost soil available, you can work this generously into your herb bed before planting. Make sure there is a generous distance between the subshrubs. Tarragon grows quite extensively and is not competitive. If the tarragon is not to grow in the bed but in the tub, use the largest possible container. Reading tip: Planting tarragon: tips on location, plant purchase and planting.
Water tarragon regularly
Keep your tarragon constantly moist and don't water the plant itself, but the surrounding soil. If you want to save yourself the work of watering, you can embed your tarragon in a layer of gravel. As a result, the water in the soil evaporates more slowly at high temperatures. Additional benefit: weeds have a hard time penetrating the gravel layer.
Cutting and harvesting tarragon
The harvest of tarragon is possible from spring to late autumn. The leaves taste best fresh from the garden. Therefore, you should only cut off a few shoots as needed. If you want to stock up for the winter, June to mid-July is the best time. At this time, the leaves contain a particularly large amount of essential oil.
Pruning is usually not necessary. However, it can happen that the shoots grow too dense if you don't harvest for a long time. In this case mustSimply remove the weakest shoots to thin out the growth.
Winter Tarragon
Shorten your tarragon to just above ground level before the first minus temperatures are expected in late autumn or early winter. Then cover the plants with a thick layer of foliage and place some pine branches on top. Tarragon cultivated in tubs can also be brought into a protected winter quarters in the house. Always ensure that the roots of the plants do not dry out completely, even in winter.