How to Grow Tarragon From Seed

An honest note first: the tarragon you grow from seed is Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculoides). Prized French tarragon is sterile, produces no viable seed, and is only grown from cuttings or division, so any packet of tarragon seed is the hardier, milder Russian type. To grow it, start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, or direct-sow outdoors in late spring once the soil has warmed. It is a cold-hardy perennial that returns year after year.

Russian tarragon seeds are tiny and need light to germinate, so surface-sow them on moist seed-starting mix and press them in gently rather than burying them. Keep the soil around 60 to 70F and evenly moist, and be patient, since germination is slow and often uneven, taking 2 to 3 weeks. Grow in full sun to light shade in loose, well-drained soil. Thin or transplant the seedlings to about 18 to 24 inches apart, as Russian tarragon grows into a tall, bushy plant.

Russian tarragon is tough and low-maintenance. Give it full sun and well-drained soil, water moderately, and let it dry out between waterings, since it dislikes wet roots. Go easy on fertilizer, because lean soil gives a better, more concentrated flavor, while rich soil makes for lush but bland growth. Cut it back through the season to keep it bushy and to encourage tender new shoots, which carry the most flavor. It is hardy to about zone 4, and you can divide established clumps in spring every few years to keep them vigorous. Being hardy to about zone 4, it dies back and returns each spring across the Upper Midwest and Northeast, but it resents wet winters: in the soggy Pacific Northwest or the humid Deep South, plant it in raised beds or gritty soil so the roots never sit cold and wet.

Tarragon is considered a helpful garden companion, said to improve the vigor of nearby vegetables, and its later flowers draw in beneficial insects. These four make especially good neighbors, and you can add any of them in one click:

Begin harvesting once the plant is established and about 8 inches tall, usually in its first summer. Snip the tender top shoots and leaves, which have the best flavor, cutting stems back to encourage fresh growth. Harvest regularly through the season, and the flavor is strongest just before the plant flowers. Tarragon is best used fresh, but you can also freeze the sprigs or steep them in vinegar to capture their flavor.

Tarragon has a distinctive, gently anise-like, slightly peppery flavor. It is a classic partner for chicken, fish, and eggs, and it is the signature herb in bearnaise sauce and in French fines herbes. Steep sprigs in white wine vinegar to make fragrant tarragon vinegar for dressings, or stir the chopped leaves into creamy sauces and butters. Add fresh tarragon near the end of cooking, since long heat dulls its delicate flavor.

• Milder flavor than expected: seed tarragon is the Russian type, which is naturally milder than French tarragon grown from cuttings.
• Slow, uneven germination: normal for tarragon. Surface-sow, keep warm and moist, and give it 2 to 3 weeks.
• Bland, leggy growth: too much water or feed. Grow it lean and dry in full sun, and cut it back to stay bushy.
• Root rot: tarragon hates soggy soil. Plant in well-drained ground and let it dry between waterings.