Tarragon, also known as tarragon, is a perennial essential oil herb belonging to the genus Wormwood. Unlike other representatives of this species, the plant is completely non-bitter, but on the contrary, it has a fresh spicy taste and delicate aroma. Many housewives use it in cooking and canning, and folk healers use medicinal properties herbs for cleansing the blood, restoring appetite and with beriberi. Growing this spicy crop is possible in any locality and climatic conditions, since the plant is quite unpretentious, and it needs the most minimal care.
Tarragon easily takes root in our latitudes, but like any culture, it has certain preferences. To grow a good fragrant herb, you need to consider the following points:
- the areas where spices are planned to be planted should be well lit by the sun - the growth of greenery and the intensity of the aroma depend on this, however, the culture is quite capable of developing in the shade, but in this case the taste and aroma of the greenery will be less pronounced;
- tarragon prefers light and fertile soils with good drainage properties, and grows best in sandy loam soil - if the soil is heavy, it needs to be diluted with sand, peat;
- the culture does not tolerate acidic soil - you can bring the soil to normal acidity by adding chalk, lime, oven ash or dolomite flour;
- lush and fragrant grass is easier to grow on fertile soil rich in mineral salts and organic matter - manure, humus, and superphosphate are introduced into the soil during the autumn digging of the beds;
- the plant does not tolerate excessive soil moisture - when choosing a place for planting spices, one should abandon low-lying areas, and give preference to a bed on a hill;
- when sowing and transplanting tarragon, the distance between rows (holes) should be at least 30 cm, since some plant species have a fairly developed deciduous part and can grow to a height of 1.5 m;
- tarragon - perennial culture, but due to the fact that its cultivation takes place in one place for many years in a row, the greenery becomes rough and loses its taste qualities therefore, beds with spices must be updated every 5-7 years;
Planting spices can be carried out both from seedlings and from sowing seeds directly in open ground. Growing through seedlings is preferable, since this method allows you to plant already grown plants in the garden, and thereby speed up the harvest. To sow tarragon for seedlings, it is necessary to prepare a container and soil. The best for seedlings is considered a soil mixture consisting of equal parts of turf, humus and sand.
Sowing seeds is carried out in moist soil in mid-March. The planting material is distributed evenly over the surface and is embedded to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. To grow a strong and healthy seedlings, it is necessary to maintain the correct temperature at all times. From the moment of sowing until the appearance of sprouts, it should be 22-24 ° C, then the degree should be reduced to 17-20 ° C.
With the right temperature regime The first shoots appear in 2-3 weeks. Subsequent care of seedlings consists in timely watering (the soil should be moderately moist), light loosening, periodic hardening of plants and picking when 3-4 leaves appear.
Planting seedlings in the garden is carried out at the end of May, when the threat of night frosts has passed. The area where the spice will be grown must be prepared in the fall: dig the soil, clear it of stones and weeds, fertilize with humus at the rate of 4 kg / sq. m, as well as add potassium salt 20 g / sq. m and superphosphate 40 g, respectively. It is possible to sow seeds directly into the ground not earlier than the last decade of May.
Video "Properties of tarragon"
Informative video from all over necessary information about the plant and its beneficial properties.
reproduction
Tarragon can be propagated in several ways: by sowing seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush and rhizome. Growing from seeds is the easiest, but not the most in a good way in terms of grass quality. The fact is that planting tarragon from its own seeds over time leads to the degeneration of the culture - a decrease in the concentration of esters, and, consequently, a decrease in the intensity of the aroma. For this reason experienced gardeners they try to propagate tarragon vegetatively: from a cutting, or by dividing a bush.
The division of the bush allows you to save the varietal characteristics of the culture, but at the same time the plant experiences a certain stress, since individual parts from an already formed bush take root for a long time. You need to divide and plant a bush in spring or early autumn. The plant should be carefully dug up, divided into two parts (no longer desirable), then each of them should be placed for some time in a solution that stimulates growth, after which the roots can be dug in pre-prepared holes and watered abundantly.
Growing tarragon from cuttings is quite simple. Planting the cuttings in the ground is carried out in early May, and the sprigs for germination must be cut a few days before the expected date of planting. Cuttings 10-15 cm long should be placed for a day in a solution of "Kornevin" (a biostimulant that accelerates root formation), or another growth stimulator, then dug into wet sand and covered with a film.
It is necessary to ensure that the sand is always slightly damp, but not wet. If the care was correct, then within a month the roots sprout, and the vegetative process begins. At this time, the cuttings are planted in the garden, where they will take place. further cultivation. It is convenient to resort to cuttings if you need to grow a large number of tarragon, since 60-80 cuttings can be obtained from one adult plant.
Care and cultivation
Crop care includes standard activities, consisting of watering, weed removal and timely top dressing. How perennial, tarragon in the first year of life only develops, and blooms and bears fruit in the second year, and then, in a cold climate, this can be expected longer. Therefore, the cultivation and care of tarragon to a certain extent depends on this feature:
- watering is carried out systematically, but as needed (you need to make sure that the soil does not dry out and is not excessively wet) - in the first year, while the plants are being formed, watering should be done frequently, mature plant it is enough to water 3-5 times / season and only during dry periods;
- cuttings require more careful care: until the roots grow, the soil should always be moist, the shelter should be periodically removed for ventilation, and cuttings that do not develop should also be removed;
- removal of weeds is carried out as necessary simultaneously with the loosening of row spacings;
- if the cultivation of tarragon was originally carried out in the garden, then with the appearance of the first 2 leaves, the seedlings must be thinned out so that the distance between them is at least 10 cm;
- it is impossible to grow lush greenery with excellent taste qualities without organic and mineral dressings - fertilizers are applied starting from the second year: mineral mixtures with a minimum nitrogen content are introduced in early spring, since this element negatively affects the taste of the grass, after each cutting, the bushes are fed with liquid mullein, droppings or fermented grass (1:10);
- it will be easier to grow young plants if they are tied to small supports, since the stems of the seedlings are very thin and break easily;
- the last cutting of greens is carried out in August - it is not recommended to collect tarragon later, as this deprives the plant of the opportunity to accumulate the nutrients necessary for wintering;
- in September, when the leaves turn yellow and dry, the bush is cut at a level of 6-10 cm from the soil surface, a layer of compost is placed on the remaining stumps, humus is scattered around, and all this is covered with any organic mulch: sawdust, fallen needles, can be dry foliage;
- some types of tarragon grow with the help of underground shoots - so that the plants do not move to the next bed, they must be protected with pieces of slate buried in the ground.
Collection and storage
As everybody spices, tarragon must be harvested before flowering. It is not recommended to cut the plant in the first year, as it is only being formed, and the grass must be fully grown to harvest. In addition, young greens have a less intense aroma and taste.
Starting from the second year, young shoots 20-30 cm long can be cut off. Tarragon grows quickly - 3-4 crops of young greenery can be harvested per season. The woody branches are also used as a flavoring agent in canning and pickling vegetables.
To prepare tarragon for future use, they resort to drying or, less often, freezing. The difficulty with freezing is that it is not advisable to cut the greens - the leaves and young twigs must be separated from the stems by hand, washed, dried, put in a bag and placed in a freezer. The grass dries quickly and easily, as its shoots contain only 5% moisture. For drying, tarragon is collected in small bundles, which are hung by the ends under a canopy in a dry place. When the bundles are completely dry, the leaves are separated from the stems by hand, crushed, and placed in jars for further storage. Dry tarragon can be stored in hermetically sealed containers for 1-2 years.
Video "About cultivation and care"
Informative video about the tarragon plant and its cultivation.
As soon as a person learned to cook his own food on fire, he began to improve its taste with the help of various herbs. Since ancient times, tarragon has been used as a spice and medicine in the Middle East, Asia, India, and China. Later it became widely used in Russia and Europe. The plant cannot boast of a luxurious look, but thanks to its unique aroma, it remains a favorite and always in demand seasoning on our table.
Description of tarragon
In the wild, tarragon (tarragon) is found almost everywhere in Europe and Asia. In America, it grows from Alaska to Mexico. In addition to the fragrant we are used to, false tarragon is also known. It has no characteristic odor and nutritional value does not represent.
The height of this perennial plant is 0.4–1.5 m. The bush consists of numerous stems with narrow leaves. The flowers are pale yellow or white, collected in paniculate inflorescences. Rhizome creeping, woody. Blooms in late summer. The plant is cold-resistant, in autumn the aerial part dies off, and the root winters well - it tolerates severe frosts, even if there is little snow.
Tarragon sprouts emerge from the ground in spring, as soon as the soil thaws.
Application in medicine and cooking
The leaves contain a large amount ascorbic acid(vitamin C), carotene, rutin, essential oils and a number of trace elements useful for humans. IN folk medicine tarragon has long been used as a diuretic, antiscorbutic and sedative, and in oriental medicine also as an anti-tuberculosis agent. Tarragon normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands, improves appetite, increases potency. Tarragon should not be used for stomach ulcers and gastritis, pregnancy, during breastfeeding and in case of individual intolerance.
In cooking, this herb is used as a seasoning for salting and fermenting vegetables, in cooking various dishes from fish, rice, meat, for flavoring soft drinks, wines and liqueurs. Tarragon is added to salads, sauces and mayonnaises. In France, tarragon is put into a special vinegar for seasoning salted fish. In Germany, fresh grass used to be laid out on pieces of meat to protect against flies.
You can cut the grass from the beginning of summer until flowering, until the leaves and shoots become rough. Dry in a shady place protected from the wind. Frequent pruning - up to 3-5 times per season - makes the bush more fluffy.
The most famous varieties
There are many varieties of this spicy herb, the most famous are the following:
- Aztec is a highly branched shrub up to 1.5 m tall with dense foliage. Pleasant aroma with a predominance of anise notes. In one place it can grow up to 7 years. The first cut of greens - a month after regrowth (for the 2nd year). In cooking, it is used as a seasoning for salting and pickling vegetables, in the preparation of various dishes and drinks;
- Valkovsky - has dull leaves and a weak aroma. Essential oils of small pale flowers are used in perfumery, leaves - in cooking. From the moment the seedlings are planted in the garden to the first cut, 25-30 days pass. The variety is cold-resistant and disease-resistant;
- Gribovsky - leaves are dark green, fragrant. The variety is frost-resistant. In one place can grow up to 15 years. It is used in cooking in the preparation of dishes and drinks, as well as in folk medicine. From germination to cutting (from the second year) takes about a month, the second cut - after 2.5 months;
- Dobrynya - greens contain a large amount of vitamin C and carotene. The height of the plant is about a meter. The variety is frost-resistant and withstands dry periods. It is used in cooking and folk medicine in fresh and dried form. The first cut is 25–30 days after regrowth (from the second year). The second - in three months;
- Zhulebinsky Semko is a frost-resistant plant. The height of the bush is up to 1.5 m, the flowers are yellowish. It has a spicy characteristic aroma and a sweet aftertaste. This allows it to be added to baked goods and drinks. The first cut of greens (from the second year) - 30 days after regrowth, the second - after 30 days;
- The king of herbs - anise notes predominate in the smell. The plant is cold-resistant, tolerates short-term drought. It is used in cooking and folk medicine both fresh and dried. The first cut - a month after regrowth, then after 2.5–3 months;
- Goodwin - plant height up to 1 m. Strong pleasant taste with a hint of bitterness. It grows rapidly, already in the second year after planting, you can get up to 0.5 kg of green mass. Used in cooking and folk medicine. It grows well in open ground and in an apartment;
- Monarch - bush up to 1.5 m tall with a characteristic aroma. Leaves are emerald green. Used in cooking and folk medicine. Frost hardy variety. The first cut - 25–30 days after germination (from the second year), then again after three months. Can be grown on a window in an apartment;
- Smaragd is a low plant up to 80 cm, flowers are small, yellowish. The aroma is pleasant, refreshing. The variety is cold hardy. It is used in cooking and folk medicine. Looks good in joint decorative plantings;
- French - very fragrant variety. On the background dark leaves clearly visible small white flowers. The variety is cold hardy. During the season you can get from 500 to 700 g of greens. Used in cooking and landscape design.
Photo gallery: the most popular varieties of tarragon
The tarragon variety Valkovsky has a slight aroma Taste of tarragon variety Goodwin - with a hint of bitterness Tarragon variety Smaragd can also be used as ornamental plant The tarragon variety Dobrynya contains a lot of vitamin C and carotene The height of the tarragon bush of the Zhulebinsky Semko variety is up to 1.5 m The tarragon variety King of Herbs has an anise smell 
The tarragon variety Monarch is distinguished by the emerald color of the leaves Tarragon variety French - very productive Aztec tarragon grows in one place up to 7 years 
Tarragon variety Gribovsky - frost-resistant
Planting and plant care
Tarragon is quite unpretentious. In one place it can grow from 8 to 15 years, but as a green crop it is better to cultivate it for no more than 4–5 years, and then transplant it. Feels good both in the sun and in the shade, but in the latter case, the aroma will be much lower. The plant is not suitable for acidic soils, as well as with high humidity. He loves soil moderately seasoned with organic matter. If the soil is light and loose, then the water will not stagnate and harm the roots. To improve heavy clay soil, sand with rotted sawdust or peat is added. If you add unripe sawdust, the soil will become poor in nitrogen, which will worsen the growth of greenery in tarragon. The plant is planted with seeds and seedlings. When planting with seeds, they are never sprinkled with earth, as this will greatly reduce germination. When planting seedlings, a distance of 70 cm between rows and 70 cm between plants is observed, since tarragon bushes grow up to 1.5 m tall.
When planting tarragon on the beds, a distance of at least 70 cm is observed so that the overgrown bushes have enough sun, moisture and nutrients
Once every two weeks, the tarragon is watered so that the earth is soaked to a depth of at least 40 cm. If the weather is humid and not hot, then the plant will have enough atmospheric moisture. After watering, loosening of the earth is necessary. Weeds must be removed in the first year after planting. Starting from the second year, tarragon copes with weeds on its own, as it has a creeping rhizome and quickly crowds out nearby plants. To prevent this, the bed is limited by digging in pieces of slate. You can take a bucket without a bottom, bury it in the soil and plant tarragon in it.
Feeding begins from the second year of life. In the spring, before the growth of greenery, add 25 g of superphosphate, 20 g of ammonium nitrate and 15 g of potassium salt per square meter. Fertilizers need to be scattered and carefully embedded in the ground, trying not to damage the sprouts.
Tarragon withstands severe frosts. Only plantings of the first year need shelter. late autumn shoots are cut to ground level, the roots are covered with foliage, sawdust, peat or spruce branches. Subsequent shelters will no longer be required.
Secrets of planting and caring for a plant - video
Growing tarragon in an apartment
If you don't have suburban area, then growing tarragon in an apartment is not difficult. Plant in early spring or in August a 10-15 cm long cutting in a box with a mixture of soddy soil and sand (3: 1) or buy in a store ready ground for seedlings. Cuttings are planted at a distance of 6 cm, watered abundantly and covered with a film. The temperature in the room should be 16–18 °C. A week and a half later, after the rooting of the sprouts, the tarragon is planted on permanent place. In an apartment, tarragon can be grown up to 4 years, then plant a new plant. Greens are cut as they grow and stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.
In summer, the plant will feel good on the balcony, in winter it is better to place it on the windowsill. Shading is required from direct sunlight, otherwise the leaves may be burned. For normal growth, tarragon needs a long daylight hours (10-12 hours). In winter, additional lighting with a phytolamp will solve this problem.
Even in winter, tarragon grows beautifully on the windowsill.
Tarragon breeding
Get planting material Can:
From one tarragon bush at the age of 3–4 years, up to 40 to 80 cuttings or about 100 root suckers can be obtained. When dividing a bush - up to 80 branches.
If long time tarragon is propagated vegetatively, then the plant loses its ability to bloom, while maintaining an excellent taste and wonderful aroma.
Diseases and pests
Tarragon is practically not affected by diseases. In rare cases, brown spots may appear on the leaves. This fungal disease called rust. It appears and spreads rapidly in heavily dense plantings. Another reason for the appearance of rust is an excess of nitrogen in the soil with excessive application. organic fertilizers. Remove and burn the affected plants, thin out. In autumn, remove the entire aerial part of the tarragon from the garden bed and treat the soil with Bordeaux mixture.
Of the insect pests, aphids and wireworms are the most annoying. The wireworm is the larva of the click beetle. It develops in the soil for 3–4 years, is omnivorous and very voracious. It feeds on plant roots and causes significant damage to garden crops. To get rid of the wireworm, try to loosen the ground more often. Another way is to sprinkle the beds with lime in the fall. In spring, with melt water, lime gets deep into the soil, which the larvae really don’t like, they leave this place. You can also get rid of the wireworm by planting green manure on your site. The roots of white mustard secrete substances into the soil that repel both beetles and their larvae. In addition, this plant is an excellent fertilizer and makes the earth looser.
The larva of the click beetle - wireworm - feeds on the roots of plants and is very harmful to tarragon
Aphids can be fought with folk remedies(infusion of onion peel, garlic or tobacco dust). It is undesirable to use chemicals, since greens are constantly used for food. IN last resort you can use drugs Bazudin or Pochin (according to instructions). Plants treated with chemicals can be used after 7-10 days, unless otherwise specified in the rules for using the drug. good remedy repelling aphids will be planting marigolds or nasturtium next to the tarragon.
Marigolds planted next to vegetables and green crops repel aphids
Tarragon - spicy perennial grass, which came to us from Eastern Siberia and therefore winters well in conditions middle lane. It is widely used in canning vegetables, in marinades, it is added to cabbage during sourdough and is used in folk medicine. Tarragon is valued for the presence in the leaves of mineral salts, essential oils, ascorbic acid and vitamins A and B. Tarragon has another, more familiar name to us - tarragon.
Tarragon growing from seeds
Tarragon is a perennial plant that can grow in one place for about 5 years, so it is advisable to clear the area for planting tarragon from weeds. Tarragon-tarragon loves fertile soils, however, an excess of nitrogen leads to the growth of a large green mass and reduces the amount of essential oil in the leaves, and, accordingly, the taste of the plant. I dig up the soil in the garden from autumn, on poor soils they add humus or compost at the rate of 3-4 kg per 1 sq. m and one and a half glasses of wood ash. In the spring, you can make full mineral fertilizers with moderate nitrogen content.
Tarragon can be propagated both by seeds and vegetatively by root offspring, cuttings, and so on.
Tarragon planting and care
Sow tarragon seeds in spring. Its seeds are very small: 1 g contains up to 5 thousand seeds. Tarragon can be sown in a nursery in late April - early May in rows that are at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Seeds are evenly sown on the moistened surface of small grooves - no more than 0.5 cm deep and lightly sprinkled with earth. Before the appearance of tarragon seedlings, the soil in the nursery should be moist all the time.
Seedlings appear 12-14 days after planting. In the phase of the first true leaf, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving 10-15 cm between plants. After that, seedling care consists in loosening the soil, removing weeds and regular watering. Plants overwinter in the nursery, and in the spring they are transplanted to a permanent place.
You can sow tarragon immediately to a permanent place. Only the distance between rows is maintained within 50-70 cm, because tarragon is a rather tall plant. Otherwise, the technology is the same: the seeds are sown to a depth of 0.5 cm, the soil is regularly sprayed before germination, in the phase of the first true leaf, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving 15-20 cm between plants.
Tarragon: planting and care
Tarragon can be propagated vegetatively. In spring, an adult bush is dug up and divided into several parts with 3-5 shoots, which are planted in a new place. You can divide the rhizome of the bush into several cuttings 5 cm long and plant in a cuttings.
Caring for an adult plant is usually quite simple. This is regular watering, weeding and loosening. Weeding and loosening is carried out as necessary, so that the aisles are always clean. As for top dressing, tarragon is not fed in the first year after planting. In the first year, a stem is formed in the plant, in the second year the tarragon blooms, and from that moment it is fed with mineral fertilizers every spring, adding 10 g of urea, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt per 1 sq. m landings.
You can harvest the first crop in the fall of the planting year, but you need not overdo it with pruning the leaves so as not to weaken the plant. If the tarragon has grown less than 25 cm in the first growing season, then it is better to postpone the harvest to the next year. From the second year, tarragon leaves can be cut throughout the summer.
It should be noted that 4 years after sowing tarragon seeds, the plants begin to lose their taste, and bitterness appears in the leaves. Experts advise further rejuvenating the plant, that is, propagating tarragon in a vegetative way.
Tarragon (popularly tarragon) is a spicy herb that is loved in different cuisines peace. In addition, when hearing about tarragon, many of us recall the taste of the green cooling carbonated drink Tarragon. For a family, it is enough to plant only 4-5 tarragon bushes.
Growing tarragon (tarragon) on your windowsill, you can fully enjoy the spicy pungent taste of green leaves. This perennial culture will stay with you for a long time - the average life of a plant is 10-12 years.
Did you know? Renew planting periodically every 5-6 years. The height at home is 50 cm, and in open ground up to 1 meter.
If you follow some simple rules, you can easily grow tarragon yourself on the windowsill.
You can grow tarragon from seeds, rooting shoots or dividing the root. Let's talk in more detail about growing tarragon from seeds.
Planting tarragon seeds in a pot
In the home, tarragon is best grown in pots or garden containers.
Tarragon rhizomes are compact, so you won't need to use large containers.
How to prepare tarragon seeds before planting
Tarragon has small seeds. For the convenience of their sowing, it is recommended to mix the seeds with sand, this will allow them to be sown evenly.
Did you know? Only 0.5 g of seeds are needed per 10 m². 1 g contains about 5 thousand seeds.
How to plant seeds
We put drainage on the bottom of a pot or container for planting, fill in the soil - this mixture is even suitable for growing seedlings. You can prepare the soil yourself: a mixture of sand, humus and turf (1: 1: 1).
Important! With an excess of humus, plants actively increase their green mass, while the taste and aroma of the leaves suffer.
Sandy loam is perfect for growing tarragon, and clay soil needs to be diluted and enriched: use sand, peat and humus.
Tarragon does not tolerate acidic soils. Add to this soil wood ash, ground chalk, fluff lime or dolomite flour. Vermiculite and perlite take away excess moisture well, and when there is not enough moisture, they return it to the plant.
We sow the seeds, sprinkle with a thin layer of earth, moisten. You can make a home greenhouse by covering a pot or container with a film or glass. But at the same time, do not forget about periodic watering. The first shoots will appear on the 20th day.
Temperature regime: 17-20 °С.
Location in the house and lighting
Tarragon will grow on any window, but the south or east side will be the most suitable for it. The lack of sun and lighting greatly affects growth, and in case of their deficiency, its taste qualities change. Greens lose color intensity, turn pale. Accordingly, additional lighting is needed.
Tarragon care at home
Periodic watering and loosening of the soil is quite enough, as well as providing sufficient lighting, especially in the autumn-winter period.
Important! Do not allow the plant to become waterlogged - it will die.
Rules for watering tarragon grass
The first sprouts should be watered very carefully so as not to break the seedlings and not wash out the soil. The best way to do this is with a spray bottle.
For tarragon, it is important to ensure moderate watering. Spray a couple of times a day, water 1-2 times a month.
top dressing
You can feed tarragon already in the second year. To do this, it will be enough to make a small amount of complex mineral fertilizers. Constantly loosen the soil in order to prevent the appearance of a crust.
How to make a tarragon drink at home
Many of us remember the Tarragon drink. Now many sources advise to give up carbonated drinks in order to maintain health. But what to do when you really want homemade lemonade? Make your own tarragon drink at home.
Homemade tarragon drink
There are many ways to make homemade tarragon drink. Someone cooks syrup with tarragon, someone squeezes the juice from tarragon leaves and adds it to soda. You can cook in different ways.
Ingredients:
- tarragon
- Lemon
- Sugar
- Carbonated water
Did you know? To make a homemade tarragon drink, only the leaves are needed. The stem is not used.
Tarragon cocktail for weight loss
Green smoothies are especially popular in dietary nutrition and among those who strive for an ideal figure. Kefir is taken as the basis for such drinks and banana, kiwi and favorite herbs are added to taste. There are many recipes, you yourself can show your imagination and create your own unique cocktail. We offer a recipe that will inspire you to your masterpiece.
- perennial plant, one of the types of wormwood.
Did you know?This is the only type of wormwood that does not have the characteristic bitterness inherent in these plants.
It can grow up to one and a half meters in height, the leaves are narrow, and the yellowish-green inflorescences, paniculate type, are located at the ends of the branches. The tarragon (tarragon) plant is a well-known spice, and its cultivation is quite popular in horticultural culture.
Also, this plant is used in the preservation of vegetables and the preparation of marinades. Tarragon received its unusual spicy aroma thanks to essential oils found in the leaves and stems of this plant.
Did you know?It is this plant that serves as the basis for the popular Tarragon drink.
Planting and propagation of tarragon seeds
Planting tarragon seeds – a more time-consuming process than other methods, but if, due to various circumstances, other methods do not suit you, then let's figure out how to plant tarragon in this way. Seeds can be planted in open ground directly to the garden, or you can pre-sprout in seedlings. The second method is more difficult, but more reliable.
Planting tarragon for seedlings
Tarragon seeds are small, they will germinate for 2-3 weeks. It is not necessary to sprinkle with earth, sow in an ordinary way, with a distance between rows of about 10 cm. April-May - best time when you can plant tarragon for seedlings.
After a couple of weeks, the seeds germinate, seedlings need to be thinned out in a row by 10 cm. Further care includes watering, loosening, weeding. In nurseries, plants remain for one winter. In early spring they can be transplanted into open ground.
Planting tarragon seeds in open ground
No big difference where to plant tarragon, however, among the undesirable predecessors, Jerusalem artichoke, chicory and lettuce can be distinguished. If there is a choice, then growing tarragon from seeds is best done in places where legumes used to grow.
Landing can be carried out both in spring and autumn, under the snow. Small seeds are sown in rows every 30 cm and covered with a small layer of earth, not forgetting to moisten the plantings. Seedlings will appear in 2-3 weeks, over time they need to be thinned out.
Other ways to propagate tarragon grass
There are other ways to propagate tarragon, but for this you need an adult plant.
Division of rhizome
The easiest way: adult plants are dug up and divided, then planted in new places. Each of the parts should have its own rhizome and a pair of buds.
cuttings
Propagation of tarragon cuttings is best suited if you need to get a large number of new plants. From one adult bush you can get 60-80 cuttings.
Cuttings are best done during active growth, so rooting will happen faster. For tarragon, this is spring or early summer. Cuttings are cut 10-15 cm long, and then planted in a greenhouse with a soil mixture of humus and sand.
Important!Cuttings need to be deepened into the soil by no more than 5 cm, and then covered and shaded.
After that, they must be regularly ventilated and watered, the temperature should be tried to be kept within 18 degrees. If everything is done correctly, then the cuttings will be ready for planting in three weeks.
layering
Not very popular but effective way- propagation using segments of rhizomes. In early spring, the rhizomes are dug up and cut into pieces about 5 cm long. Further, the scheme is exactly the same as when growing by cuttings.
How to care for tarragon in your yard
The main care for tarragon is to remove weeds, loosen the soil and timely watering, especially in drought. Young shoots must be tied to pegs, as strong winds can damage them.
Already from the second year, it is desirable to feed the plant. It is best to do this in the spring, using complex mineral fertilizers at the rate of 1 tablespoon per square meter.
Collection and harvesting of tarragon grass for winter
Tarragon is used in many recipes, both fresh and dried. It is also canned and frozen. Of course, everyone knows about the drink that has the same name. However, collection is not possible in winter, so it is necessary to harvest tarragon for the winter.
Drying tarragon
For further drying, tarragon is cut at the very beginning of flowering. Its water content is low, so drying will not take long. It is necessary to hang the raw materials tops down in a dry, ventilated area. After complete drying, tarragon spicy herbs should be put in airtight containers so that the aroma does not disappear.
