Tarragon ~
 

I've herad this one is hard to grow ;
and is on my "to grow" herb list for 2006 ~
Any one else giving this one a try ? ~ Tom

Well, it is tricky in that the only flavorful variety is French Tarragon, which cannot be started from seed. Russian Tarragon, which is easy from seed, does not hold a candle to the French cultivar. In PA I managed to keep a nice plant alive throughout the season; it seems to struggle with our heat and humidity down here.

Not sure which one I have - its a Ferry Morse seed packet from Lowes ~ I'm going to give it a try ~ Tom

It is likely Russian Tarragon. Give it a try...but don't go making any Bernaise Sauce with it!

lol Craig ~ ratts !

I too had heard that French tarragon was tricky to grow and not reliably hardy here on the edge of Zone 7. I haven't found this to be the case - it's reliably perennial for me, although it dies back to the ground each winter.

This time of year I suffer from tarragon withdrawal waiting for my plant to start up again.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes it that much Cecilia !!! I'm just gonna have to work with the Russian variety ~ Tom

I grew tarragon two years ago in a container...not sure what variety it was as I probably got it at Home Depot or a local nursery. I did not do much to it other than water and add some balanced fertilizer once in a while. It seemed to do pretty well with minimal attention.

I used it sparingly while it was growing...added it to a few home made dressings. At the end of the season I dried the plant and now have a good amount of dried tarragon in a jar...enough to last several years! I have been meaning to find more recipes that call for it...

Adenn1, I've found tarragon to be wonderful in any recipe that uses eggs. I add it to my omelets all the time. It's also good on chicken and fish.

I bought a small plant of French Tarragon from a nursery several years ago. It has grown without problems and survives Maine winters without protection.

We grow French Tarragon and it really does grow like a weed. Just have to give it some water occasionally. It usually survives the winter but one time a few years back we lost it. Now I dig up a piece every year and put it in a 1 gallon pot and stick it in the garage.

I guess I'm going to have to procure a cutting from the "good stuff" - but I'll grow out the russian one in the meantime ~ Tom

Tarragon
 

Got a plant that's sprawling and healthy right now. Very handy herb.

Take a tip: low-fat sauce for hot salmon fillet and other fish:

1 x tub of low fat yoghurt
Two tbs of Dijon mustard
Tbs of tarragon vinegar (homemade is good ;)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Big handful of finely chopped tarragon
Chopped capers
Ground pepper.

Mix together and dump a heaped spoonful over hot salmon, snapper, mahi mahi or other fish.

Serve w/ baby boiled potatoes and a green. Mmmm.

Someone on another forum took cuttings of the tarragon sprigs that come in the little plastic package from the produce aisle at the grocery store. Worked fine, and she said it turned out to be the real French tarragon. I think I'll try that too.

bcday, I've rooted cuttings of grocery-store basil before, but never thought of doing it with tarragon or other herbs! Bet rosemary would work well, too.

Grub > sounds great !

bcday >
I think I might try to grow a sprig from store bought ~ Its a shame they charge $6 for it ...
Maybe they think your going to grow it !!!
lol ~ Tom

Tom -- I've grown it from the store before. It usually works.

Suze -
Using root powder ? > Tom

I suppose you could use root powder, but I don't. Obviously, look for the freshest you can find and use the largest pieces. Strip off the bottom leaves and stick the stem in a pot in some moistened potting mix. Don't push the stem all the way down -- keep it from actually touching the bottom, and don't overwater, or it will rot.

It's helpful if you use one of those clear plastic cups to be able to see root formation. Be sure and poke a hole in the bottom for drainage. Keep out of direct sun until roots start to form. You can make it a little tent out a large plastic bottle w/cap off if you want to help keep moisture in.

Suze ;

That sounds like a great plan -
I'm going to head to Whole Foods
and give a look around , give it a shot ~
Thanks for the info !

~ Tom

My favorite tarragon recipe
 

My favorite tarragon recipe:

Chicken Tarragon

12 pieces chicken, combination of breasts, thighs, and legs
2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. oil
1 tbs. butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
¾ cup chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
4 tbs. fresh tarragon, leaves only, chopped
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup non-fat sour cream

Season the chicken with the salt. Combine the oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet and brown the chicken and onion over medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side or until golden. Add the chicken stock, wine, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Add the tarragon and pepper and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and cook until the chicken is thoroughly heated. Do not boil the mixture after the sour cream has been added. Transfer the chicken and sauce to a serving dish.

Great tip for starting the french tarragon and rosemary. I'm going to head to my grocery stores soon and see what I can find. I know I can keep rosemary in the house in a pot, but what about the french tarragon? should that be planted outside for the summer? I'd like to have a pot garden for herbs in the house year round if I can, but can settle for drying or other methods of preserving if I must!

Cindy :)

Tarragon seeds I got from Ferry Morse came up today ~ will see whats what ... Stll going to try to root store bought ~ Tom

I'm starting to get antsy ... I haven't seen any sign of new growth where my clump of tarragon was last year. I remember last year it reappeared all of a sudden, though, after I had bought myself a new plant. So maybe I'm just impatient.

[quote=Tomstrees]Tarragon seeds I got from Ferry Morse came up today ~ will see whats what ... Stll going to try to root store bought ~ Tom[/quote]


I have heard that true french tarragon is only available via transplant, and that the seeds for tarragon that are available are really a rather unpalatable Russian variety.

Dunno if this is really the case or not, as I've always started with transplants.

Let us know how the sprigs from the store root. I've tried in water, but not in soil. The water didn't work very well. Next time I'll try the soil. :)

Thyme, basil, and oregano from the grocery root pretty readily as well. :)

thats right ; I have to check
the variety on package ~
Good eye !
~ Tom

I went out to weed the herb garden yesterday, and surprise! The tarragon I couldn't find last month was lush and green - probably due to the first serious rain we've had here since the beginning of March. It had even spread enough to divide a piece for the herb garden I'm planting for my Dad.

I'll have to learn to be more patient when it comes to my tarragon.

good to hear Cecilia_MD7a ~
Any way you could mail me a sprig
with some roots on it ???!!!
LOL ~ Tom,

After 3 unsuccessful attempts to root some supermarket cuttings, I'm giving up. :shock:

I used Clonex, Rootone, bottom heating, , soilless medium, misting - the works and every one of them shriveled up and died after about a week. :x

Clonex could grow roots on a table leg, so I'm wondering why they won't propogate. :?:

I'm going to a local garden center and look for plants :wink:

Mischka ~

Maybe I'll try those gel packs that
Bully had in that thread next ~

Tom