Tarragon is the quiet star of French cooking — a slender, elegant herb with a warm anise flavour that lifts chicken, fish, eggs and sauces in a way no other herb quite manages. It is a perennial that, once settled, comes back year after year.
Use the leaves fresh in sauces, salad dressings and with roast chicken, or dry them for winter. A little goes a long way: the flavour is assertive, so start with a few leaves and add more to taste. This crop is in the Asteraceae family, needs full sun, and takes 60–90 days to reach maturity, so it pays to know what it wants before you sow. This guide covers it all: starting seeds, transplanting, soil and feeding, watering, sunlight, pests, companion plants, harvesting and the problems most likely to catch you out. Divide the clump every three years or so in spring — it rejuvenates the plant and gives you new plants for free.
Tarragon at a glance
| Growing factor | What tarragon need |
|---|---|
| Sun | full sun |
| Soil pH | 6.0–7.5 |
| Days to germination | 10–14 |
| Days to maturity | 60–90 |
| Spacing | 18–24 inches |
| Water needs | low |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
| Family | Asteraceae |
Starting seeds
Tarragon can be started indoors or sown direct. Indoors, sow in trays or cells and expect germination in 10–14 days; direct-sown seed goes into prepared soil once conditions are right. Starting indoors buys a few weeks of season, while direct sowing is simpler and avoids transplant shock.
Short-season gardens in Zones 3–5 gain the most from starting indoors, while Zones 8–10 can usually direct-sow with confidence. Our seed-starting calculator works out indoor sowing dates from your frost dates.
Seed germinates in 10–14 days, but remember that seed-grown plants are usually Russian tarragon with a much milder flavour. For true French tarragon, buy a plant or take a division from an established clump.
Transplanting and planting out
Set young plants out once the soil is workable, or after the last frost where the plant is tender. Handle the root ball gently, plant at the same depth as in the pot, and water in well.
Space plants 18–24 inches apart — crowding is one of the commonest causes of small harvests. Our plant-spacing calculator works out how many plants fit your bed. Harden seedlings off for a week before planting out, and plant on a cloudy day or in the evening so they do not wilt in their first hours outdoors.
Soil and feeding
Herbs mostly want lean, free-draining soil rather than rich ground — too much fertiliser makes soft, leggy growth with weak flavour. Dig in a little compost for structure and make sure water drains away freely, especially in winter.
Aim for a soil pH of 6.0–7.5 — a simple soil test will tell you where you stand. Feed lightly and steadily rather than in one heavy dose: too much fast nitrogen late in the season pushes leafy growth at the expense of the part you eat. Our fertiliser calculator works out amounts for your bed size, and the raised-bed soil calculator tells you how much mix a new bed needs.
Watering
Water needs are low, so this crop is more forgiving of a missed watering than most. Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry a little between waterings, and avoid keeping the foliage wet.
Herbs in pots dry out faster than herbs in the ground, so check pots daily in hot weather. In the ground, most herbs are happy with a deep watering when the soil dries out rather than a daily sprinkle.
Water at the base of the plant, in the morning, so the leaves dry quickly. Our watering calculator gives a starting point for your bed size, and the watering schedule generator can build a routine around it.
Sunlight and temperature
Give herbs the sunniest spot you have — a south-facing bed, or a pot on a sunny step. Full sun keeps growth compact and flavour concentrated; in shade, most herbs grow leggy and taste weak.
This crop is rated hardy for cold tolerance, so plan your season around that: hardy crops can be sown and harvested around frosts, while tender crops need warm soil and frost-free nights. Our sunlight calculator can check whether your spot gets enough sun, and the hardiness-zone finder will confirm your zone.
Pests and diseases
Tarragon are not especially pest-prone when healthy and well placed, but a few pests turn up regularly. The ones listed for this crop in the growing data are aphids, slugs, thrips.
- Aphids — Small sap-sucking insects that cluster on soft new shoots, weakening growth. A strong jet of water dislodges them, and ladybirds usually keep them in check.
- Slugs — Slugs feed at night, chewing holes in leaves and fruit — especially young seedlings and berries at ground level. Hand-pick them after dark and keep the ground clear of hiding places.
- Thrips — Tiny insects that rasp at leaves and flowers, leaving silvery streaks and distorted growth. Worst in hot, dry weather; keep plants watered and remove damaged leaves.
Inspect plants weekly, especially the undersides of leaves, and act early. If you need help identifying what you are seeing, our pest-identifier helper and plant-disease checker walk through the symptoms.
Companion plants
Companion planting puts together plants that help each other — sharing space well, attracting pollinators, or confusing pests. The companions listed for tarragon in the growing data are a good starting point.
Good companions for tarragon include:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Marigolds
- Cabbage
Our companion-planting finder can suggest more pairings for your bed plan.
Harvesting
Snip the young shoot tips regularly through spring and summer — this keeps the plant bushy and the flavour at its best. Stop heavy picking in late summer so the plant can build up strength before winter, and cut the whole plant back after it dies down.
Expect the crop to be ready about 60–90 days after sowing, though weather and variety shift that window by a week or two either way. Our harvest-date calculator works out your expected harvest date from your sowing date, and the vegetable-yield estimator can estimate how much a bed should produce. Harvest in the morning, using a sharp knife or secateurs rather than tearing, which damages the plant.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Root rot over a wet winter | wet, heavy soil around the roots | plant in the sunniest, best-drained spot you have, or grow it in a pot |
| Yellow, wilting leaves despite wet soil | overwatering — the roots are drowning | let the soil dry out between waterings and improve drainage |
| Aphids on the plants | aphids feeding on the crop | inspect weekly and act early — hand-pick, wash off, or use barriers |
Root rot over a wet winter
Likely cause: wet, heavy soil around the roots. Tarragon hates wet soil more than almost anything: roots rot quickly in heavy, waterlogged ground, and the plant simply disappears over a wet winter. Give it the sunniest, best-drained spot you have, and in cold, wet climates grow it in a pot you can shelter in winter.
Yellow, wilting leaves despite wet soil
Likely cause: overwatering — the roots are drowning. Low-water plants are killed by kindness more often than by drought. If leaves yellow and wilt while the soil is wet, the roots are rotting: stop watering and let the soil dry out.
Aphids on the plants
Likely cause: aphids feeding on the crop. Small sap-sucking insects that cluster on soft new shoots, weakening growth. A strong jet of water dislodges them, and ladybirds usually keep them in check.
Frequently asked questions
How long does tarragon take to germinate?
10–14 days, in warm, moist conditions. Cool soil slows germination down, so wait for the soil to warm up and keep the seedbed evenly moist — not wet — until seedlings appear.
What soil pH does tarragon need?
A soil pH of 6.0–7.5 suits tarragon best. A simple soil test will tell you where your soil stands, and lime or sulfur can nudge pH up or down over a season.
When can I harvest tarragon?
About 60–90 days after sowing, though weather and variety shift that by a week or two. For nursery-grown plants the wait is shorter than for seed.
Why does my tarragon taste weak?
You probably have Russian tarragon, which is the type that grows readily from seed and is much milder than French tarragon. French tarragon is propagated from cuttings or division, not seed, so buy a labelled plant if you want the full anise flavour.