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.

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.

D

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.

In article ,
Fran Farmer wrote:

On 8/06/2014 9:43 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
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.

Apart from being miserable, clay does hold water, so that probably
helps. Where it rains more, good drainage helps - where it rains less,
clay can be a good thing (not being from where it rains less, most of
the time, and being abundantly supplied with clay, I found that sentence
hard to actually commit to print...2-3 dumptruck loads of sand would
improve my garden immensely.)

I really don't find it fussy, just prone to not all surviving the
winter. On the other hand, I seem to recall that I expanded the range
admitted to in one of the rec.gardens FAQs that was or is running around
the net from days of old.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

Ecnerwal wrote:
....
Apart from being miserable, clay does hold water, so that probably
helps. Where it rains more, good drainage helps - where it rains less,
clay can be a good thing (not being from where it rains less, most of
the time, and being abundantly supplied with clay, I found that sentence
hard to actually commit to print...2-3 dumptruck loads of sand would
improve my garden immensely.)

i'd take 2-3 dumptruck loads of shredded
bark over sand any time as that forms such a
nice layer on top of the clay that the worms
can enjoy. helps keep things moist and cool
when it gets hot.

i've found that adding sand to clay is often
just asking to make very hard soil and that the
added organic matter is much better (and lighter
to move ). last winter growing the winter
wheat and winter rye as a green manure/cover crop
that was turned under a few weeks before planting
was the best thing i'd ever done for soil texture
and making the clay much easier to deal with this
spring. lovely results in many respects, only a
few negatives which don't bother me at all.


songbird

In article ,
says...
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.

Most of the artemisias I've grown have been survivors.

Our French Tarragon has been in the garden for 30+ years (Zone 5, sandy soil).

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.