I purchased a French Tarragon plant, as I found no seeds other than the Russian Tarragon. The tag says 36" tall; but I have never grown it over 12"---does it really get that tall? It always seems to sprawl and stay low; what's the secret to a nice upright plant? This plant tag says Zone 4 hardy, but I seldom have it make it thru a winter. Any advise?
French Tarragon 36" tall???
French tarragon cannot be grown from seed. I've had several plants growing in zone 6 but never one over 12-15" tall. They are perennial but seemed short lived for me. Maybe more my soil than zone?
I wonder if that's what you actually got in the pot you bought. Last year I bought a 6 pack of marked yellow summer squash that turned into climbers and cukes.
My tarragon does in fact get 36 inches tall....maybe because we don't get much more than a 3 day light frost once a year. Every spring I cut it down to 3 or 4 inches, and let it start over again. It grows very quickly.
I've never had it get that tall either...about 18" max....and they are short-lived here too. About 3 seasons is all that I can expect...if the winter is harsh, not even that.
I'll take a pic once it gets tall again, and starts blooming...(I cut it down about a month ago, but it's already back to 12 inches already)
:)
It must love FL....Sounds like a perfect environment for it.
When you only use a mini-handful of leaves chopped up in a recipe, the 2 -36inch plants I have can be a bit overwhelming, but at least they smell great everytime I whack them back down!
Gee, now you've got me wondering! I bought two French tarragon plants last year from somebody I know who owns a plant nursery. I asked her if they were hardy and she said,"Yes, we might occasionally lose one of the other herbs, but the tarragon ALWAYS comes back!" I have mine planted in really lousy soil at the edge of the driveway (My mother even managed to drive over part of one of them) and I'm in zone 5. I didn't worry about them because of what I'd been told and, sure enough, both of them came back up this Spring and are looking just fine.
Tarragon is hit or miss with me...at the present, I don't have any growing. Haven't seen any decent transplants this year.
3 nights of 19-20 degrees over Easter weekend pretty much did in a lot of stuff here. We were 3 weeks ahead of schedule on 'green-up'...The leaves even froze off the trees! I lost several things that were supposed to be cast-iron.
My French tarragon gets to be about 3 feet tall. It dies back down to the roots every year (here in zone 5) but comes right back up in the late spring. It can be picky about its soil - likes it well drained. I have 7 plants in three different sections of the garden. It is delicious.
I am on my first year with French tarragon. The plant I have flops and would be hard pressed to grow that tall here. I love the fragrance and can smell it when I walk by.
I believe from all I have read and seen, the primary problem is what Betty said ~ good drainage. Even more than cold. Mine has been a struggle this summer due to excessive rains and high humidity but have keep my fingers X'd. How's that for educated! LOL