If the tarragon is to be cultivated as a herb in your own garden, it is important to pay attention to the requirements and the suitable location when planting.
In every garden there is a suitable place for the perennial tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus). It is suitable for pots and beds - but there are certain differences between the different varieties. You will find all important information below.
Planting tarragon: the right location
The tarragon prefers a sunny, but wind-protected location. It also does well in partial shade and doesn't mind occasional droughts as long as it doesn't dry out completely.
Basically, a moist but permeable and moderately nutrient-rich soil is ideal for the perennial herb. Waterlogging should be avoided in any case. A clayey soil that tends to do so may be loosened up with plenty of sand or other drainage material. Too nutrient-rich soil unfortunately leads to less aroma development, but also to more leaf growth. Fatty and less aromatic tarragon is well suited for use as a spring vegetable. If you suspect that the tarragon location in the garden may not be nutrient rich enough, occasional fertilization with a mostly organic fertilizer is a good idea. For example, use our Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer. It is low in nitrogen and high in potassium to allow aroma formation and ensure good hardiness.
Tarragon can also be grown in containers on balconies and terraces, as we explain below.
What can you plant next to tarragon? Which plants are in the immediate vicinity of tarragon can sometimes decide on the success of cultivating daisy family. For example, lovage (Levisticum officinale) and marjoram (Origanum majorana) are suitable for use as neighboring plants, with dill (Anethum graveolens) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum), on the other hand, he doesn't get along very well.
Sowing and growing yourself
Only the Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. inodora) can be propagated by generative propagation, namely by sowing. The French (Artemisia dracunculus var. sativus) and the German tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. thuringiae) on the other hand, they are propagated by vegetative propagation, for example by cuttings, layering or division.
In March, the seeds of the Russian tarragon harvested in autumn can already be sown indoors in pre-cultivation and then the young seedlings can be planted outdoors from May. You should wait until the end of April before direct sowing outdoors because of the risk of frost.
Propagation via sinkers and runners is carried out in spring, preferably in May. The division of the plant, which should also take place in May, is generally recommended every two to three years. However, rooting tarragon cuttings in summer is not so easy.
If you want to propagate your tarragon, you will find more detailed information on how to proceed with generative and vegetative propagation in our special article.
Plant tarragon
Depending on whether the tarragon is to be planted in a pot or in a bed, there are certain points to consider. We explain these below.
Potted Tarragon
In general, a good time to plant the herb is from mid-April to early May. After the tarragon has a much smaller volume of soil in the pot than in the bed, a sufficiently large bucket should be chosen. This ensures that the substrate does not dry out too quickly and that nutrients are available for longer. So that the water does not accumulate, the pot should have a drain for excess water. In addition, a layer of gravel or crushed potsherds can be placed at the bottom of the pot.
The tarragon needs a humus and nutrient-rich substrate with a slightly alkaline to neutral pH value. Our Plantura organic universal soil, for example, is ideal for these requirements. It provides the herb with sufficient nutrients for about the first two months. It is best to add 30% structural material such as sand or expanded clay to the substrate.
Then the tarragon can be planted every four to six weeks with aLiquid fertilizer such as our Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer, which is easily applied with the irrigation water. The contained microorganisms ensure optimal phosphorus utilization of the substrate - an important contribution to the protection of the finite phosphorus deposits on earth. You can find more detailed information on how to care for the tarragon in our dedicated article.
Tip: If you fertilize the tarragon more frequently, it will develop more leaves but less aroma. It's possible, but it changes the usage and dosage a bit.
Tarragon in the garden
Planting directly into the bed should also take place from mid-April to early May. Tarragon prefers a sandy soil type such as loamy or humus-rich sand. As already mentioned, if the soil is not permeable enough, you can mix in some sand or other coarse material.
The household needs are more than adequately covered by two specimens of tarragon. Before planting, you can put your young plants and the pot in a bucket full of water so that the root ball is soaked. The soil is then loosened at the intended planting site with a digging fork or garden hoe. Now you can dig the planting holes at a distance of 30 x 40 centimeters - the holes should be about twice as large as the root ball of the herb. When planting, the plant is not planted much deeper than it was in the pot. In order to ensure a balanced supply of nutrients, the excavated soil can then be mixed with a high-quality soil such as our Plantura organic universal soil and then filled up again all around and pressed down well. Our added substrate ensures a balanced ratio of air to water at the root of your tarragon by adding organic matter.
If your tarragon is now in the right place and continues to be cared for and cared for accordingly, it will soon be able to be harvested regularly. You can find out how to harvest and store the tarragon correctly in our special article.