On 13/06/2014 6:01 AM, Derald wrote:
Fran Farmer wrote:

On 8/06/2014 9:43 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Fran Farmer wrote:
On 7/06/2014 11:14 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:

I cannot grow French
taragon, too finicky in my heavy soil.

Interesting. My French Tarragon is as tough as old boots and I grow
it in what I'd consider to be heavy soil.

The summer rain might be a problem too.

Could be. I tend to let my tarragon get quite dry before I notice that
it's gagging for a drink - dunno why it thrives given how badly I treat
my poor clumps.
Do you let tarragon wilt before watering?

"Let" is too active a word - it implies that I am active in what happens
to the tarragon whereas it's more a case of my neglect. I have 2
tarragon patches both along a path that I usually follow to get to any
of the following (worm farm, compost bins, veggie patch, chook run,
nearest garden tap to back door).

One patch is close up to the wall of the house with a few other herbs
including mint in a pot buried almost up to its rim. That tarragon gets
little rain or watering by me and the other patch is beside a number of
clumps of chives and garlic chives on the western edge of my rose
garden. That patch faces due west and gets fierce afternoon sun so it
gets parched quite often.

They tend to be fairly desperate when I notice that they need water but
sometimes I will be consistent and good at giving them water for a few
weeks at a time.

Presently, I'm forbidden from growing tarragon due to my propensity
for leaving it out in rain. She Who Knows reasoned that her occasional
use of tarragon in the kitchen does not warrant the coninued cost of
replacing plants as I kill them; sigh....
I do well at protecting (most of) the other kitchen herbs from too
much sun and too much water but for some reason there seems to be a
block on tarragon and thyme.

Which kitchen herbs are you protecting from the sun?

Most of my kitchen herbs are planted where they get as much sun as I can
for them because I've always thought that increased their 'volatile
oils' (although that may not be the best way of describing their active
ingredient).

I find that thyme in particular thrives in full sun and loves the heat,
- as does rosemary and basil.