How to Grow Tarragon UK
On this page
In the UK, tarragon goes in the ground early March to early April, and is ready to harvest 42–56 days after planting.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: sowing early March, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.
The short answer
- Plant
- Early March to early April
- Ready in
- 42–56 days
- Site
- soil pH 6.5–7
- Biggest risk
- Honey fungus
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
7 sources cited · Verified
When to Plant Tarragon in the UK
When to plant tarragon in the UK: in Southern England, sow early March to early April. Find your area in the table below.
Quick Facts
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Diseases
Tarragon, Prized for Its Aniseed Flavour
Plan your Tarragon planting
When to sow and plant Tarragon depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Tarragon in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
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Perennial for USDA zones 3a-8b, 1-3ft tall and 1-1.5ft wide; space 12in-3ft apart. Full sun. Wants neutral soil (pH 6.0-8.0) with good drainage or very dry conditions -- plants may decline through wet, humid summers. FRENCH TARRAGON (A. dracunculus "Sativa"), the culinary form, RARELY FLOWERS, so it cannot be raised from seed and must be propagated vegetatively by division, root cuttings or stem cuttings; anything sold as tarragon seed is the inferior Russian form. Remove flower buds, dead-head and prune in mid to late summer to rejuvenate growth, cut plants to the ground each spring, and divide clumps every 2-4 years. Main problem: root or crown rot in moist, poorly drained soil.
7 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I sow tarragon in the UK?
In Southern England, from early March. In Scotland, wait until early March. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow tarragon?
Sow early March to early April.
How long does tarragon take to grow?
Typically 42–56 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH does tarragon need?
A pH of about 6.5–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect tarragon?
Our data links 3 diseases to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-09-02
Plan Tarragons by month
The months this guide gives for sowing or planting, each with the full list of jobs for that month in the UK:
More from the same group (herbs & aromatics):
Growing advice for your part of the UK
Timing and conditions change a lot inside one country. These guides cover frost dates and growing seasons region by region.
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.