tarragon
Other Common Names Include:
French Tarragon, estragon, dragon sagewort, dragon’s wart.
Latin Name: Artemisia dracunculus
Plant Family: Asteraceae
Close Relatives: Lettuce, globe artichoke, calendula, Jerusalem artichoke, chamomile, root chicory,witloof chicory/Belgian endive,echinacea, sunflower.
Uses and Markets: Culinary (e.g. sauces, flavouring for meats); Medicinal (e.g. stimulating appetite, treatment of diabetes, pain killer); Personal Care Products (e.g. perfume, cosmetics, soap)
Production Life Cycle in Ontario
Perennial
Hardiness Zone
4
Special Notes
None
Propagation method
Most commonly by transplants from cuttings; less commonly by root division. French tarragon cannot be grown from seed.
Greenhouse Seeding/Propagation Dates
Fall or winter (if mother plants are moved into a greenhouse).
Field Seeding Date:
N/A
Field Transplanting Dates
May
In-row spacing
30 cm.
Between row spacing
60-90 cm
Optimal Soil temperature at planting
>10°C
Fertility
No current Ontario fertility recommendations exist. Research and recommendations from outside Ontario do not necessarily apply to Ontario growing conditions. No research or recommendations from other jurisdictions were found for nitrogen fertilization of this crop. Click here for phosphorus and potassium application guidelines and for more information on specialty crop fertility.
Soil type
Well-drained soils; sandy soil. Will not survive in saturated soils.
Soil pH
5.0-7.5
Special requirements for growth habit
Winter protection in colder zones.
Optimal Temperature Range
10 – 20°C
Temperature sensitivity
Freeze tolerant (except when young).
Irrigation requirements
Irrigation usually not required.
Days to harvest
60-80.
Specialized equipment:
None
Harvest
Harvest Scheduling
Multiple harvests from the same planting (1st harvest in early summer, 2nd in early autumn of each year).
Hand harvest or machine harvest
Hand harvest.
Quality parameters/grades
No established grades.
Additional Harvest Notes
Harvest during cooler parts of the day to reduce moisture loss and cooling costs. Remove field heat as soon as possible after harvest.
Post harvest
Special handling/curing
Dried tarragon loses much of its aroma and taste. Dry tarragon under low temperatures in a controlled environment.
Storage Conditions
Relative humidity (RH): 95% (fresh herb)
Temperature: 0°C
Air Exchange: N/A
Duration: 2 to 3 weeks (fresh herb)
Specific pests observed on this crop in Ontario (observations based on limited experience with this crop)
Insects and Invertebrates: None.
Diseases: Crown and root rots (e.g. Rhizoctonia, Sclerotinia).
Other Potential Pests: The following pests have not been observed on this crop in Ontario. However, they are either significant concerns for closely related plants in Ontario, or are reported on this crop in other production areas. This is not a comprehensive list of all potential pests. Not all of these pests will necessarily survive Ontario’s climate, but could potentially survive in a protected environment (e.g. greenhouse, storage facility).
Insects and Invertebrates: Aphids, mealy bugs, scale, thrips.
Diseases: Nematodes, powdery mildew, foliar blights (e.g. Colletotrichum, Phoma, Septoria, Phomopsis), downy mildew, rust.
*Indicates pests commonly mentioned as causing significant damage or economic loss to this crop in other regions.
Comments
To date the following pests have been the most significant in Ontario: crown and root rots. Disease pressures can be reduced through proper site selection and by promoting good air movement through the canopy. This crop is in Crop Group 19: Herbs and Spices Group and subgroup 19A: Herb Subgroup. This crop group is being revised and may change in the near future. For more information on Crop Groups, refer to the Pest section. Always refer to product labels, and follow all directions specified on the label, before applying any pest control product. For more information, consult an OMAFRA specialist. For pest control products registered on this crop refer to OMAFRA Publication 838.
French tarragon is considered a selection of Russian tarragon, which is sometimes listed as a separate species (Artemisia dracunculoides). However, Russian tarragon is inferior in taste and is not commercially grown. Tarragon plants should be removed every three years due to decreasing quality of the plant.
- McKeown, A.W., C.J. Bakker and J. Schooley. 1998-2002. Herb Demonstration Garden, University of Guelph Simcoe Research Station, unpublished.
- Westerveld, S., Elford, E., Filotas, M. and J. Todd. 2010-present. OMAFRA herb demonstration garden. OMAFRA Simcoe Resource Centre, unpublished.
- Kowalchik, C. and W.H. Hylton. 1998. Rodale`s illustrated encyclopaedia of herbs. Rodale Press, Emmaus PA.
- McHoy, P. and P. Westland. 1994.The herb bible: the ultimate herb reference book. New Burlington Books, London, UK.
- McVicar, J. 1994. Jekka’s complete herb book. Raincoast Books, Vancouver.
- Readers Digest. 2009. The complete illustrated book of herbs. The Readers Digest Association,Pleasentville, New York.
- Schooley, J. and J. Llewellyn. 2009. Growing culinary herbs in Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
- Small, E. 2006.Culinary herbs. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, ON.
- Thomas, S.C.L. 2000. Medicinal plants: culture, utilization and phytopharmacology. Technomic Publishing Company,Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
