How to grow tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus · Asteraceae · Herb

Tarragon is a warm-season herb in the Asteraceae family, usually started indoors and set out as transplants. It wants full sun, though it tolerates a little afternoon shade in hot regions and modest, occasional watering. From sowing to first pick is about 60–90 days. It handles frost well and a light freeze often improves the flavour.

Grower’s note: Buy a French tarragon plant - seed sold as 'tarragon' is the coarse, nearly flavourless Russian kind. A hardy perennial (to about Zone 4) that demands sharp drainage; divide it every three years to keep the flavour strong.

Sowing

Sow barely covered — the seed needs light to germinate, into soil between 60–80°F — germination is quickest near 70°F. It is slow and often erratic to germinate (14–28 days). For an early crop, start seed indoors about 8 weeks before your last spring frost and grow it under bright light.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 18″ along the row with roughly 24″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 1 per square foot. Allow at least 12″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 12″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

Tarragon needs roughly 60–90 frost-free days to crop. Where the season is shorter than that, start it indoors and choose the earliest-maturing varieties, or grow it in a container you can move under cover on cold nights. In long, hot-summer regions it can often be planted twice — once in spring and again in mid-to-late summer for a fall harvest.

Quick facts

When to plant tarragon

Companions

Common problems

Pests: aphids, spider mite.

Diseases & disorders: root rot, rust, powdery mildew.

Same family (Asteraceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.