The homeland of tarragon is Mongolia and the eastern part of Siberia. In the Urals, the Caucasus and throughout Siberia, it is found in the wild. Cultivate it in Ukraine, in the Caucasus.
Tarragon (tarragon): description
This perennial plant belongs to the family Asteraceae. In height, the tarragon grows to one and a half meters. Numerous stems forming a plant are covered with lanceolate narrow leaves. Its flowers are yellowish, small. Accordingly, ovoid-shaped seeds are also obtained by small ones. The plant belongs to the genus wormwood, but is completely devoid of bitterness. It has tarragon and a completely different taste and aroma. A different gamma causes a different use of spices compared to other wormwood. As a seasoning for many dishes, tarragon was highly appreciated in ancient Syria. In the Middle Ages, plant juice was used to prevent plague.
Tarragon (tarragon): accommodation
The best soil for the plant is a moderately fertilized garden. The arable layer should be deep, as the roots go into the ground almost half a meter. If you exceed the amount of fertilizer, there will be a lot of greenery, but it will lose its aroma. You can grow tarragon in one place without transplants up to 15 years, but the best crops are still harvested for 4 years. Tarragon hibernates well, can withstand even -30 ° C. As soon as the last snow comes down, the plant sprouts. Therefore, already in early May they are ready for use.
Tarragon (tarragon): breeding
For seedlings, the collected seeds are sown in pots, boxes or cassettes in early spring. After the seedlings sprout in 14-20 days, they need to be peaked in a previously prepared greenhouse. They are planted in a permanent place after 2 months. At the end of April, seeds can be sown directly in the soil.
They are poured into small grooves and lightly sprinkled with earth. The emerged seedlings are thinned so that between the individual plants the distance does not exceed 10 cm.
The tarragon (tarragon) grown in this way should be wintered on this bed, and next spring it needs to be transplanted to the place where it will grow constantly. But since the plant does not always produce seeds, the ideal way to propagate it is to divide the rhizomes. You can also cut 10-15 cm of cuttings at the beginning of summer and root them in a greenhouse. Sand and humus must be added to the soil. The earth around the cuttings deepened by 4-5 cm should be compacted and watered. The most comfortable temperature for successful rooting is 16-18 ° С. Cuttings take root in two weeks.
Tarragon (tarragon): useful properties
The plant contains ash and nitrogenous substances. And its essential oil includes aldehydes, patients, and estragol itself. It is they who give the tarragon a delicate aroma and a specific smell of anise. In addition, the plant contains vitamin C, rutin and carotene. Among people, tarragon is used as a means of normalizing the acidity of gastric juice, which promotes good digestion and prevents scurvy and vitamin deficiency in general. In cooking, dried grass plants are used for salting. Fresh leaves in crushed form are added to salads, sauces, cheeses. It is noted that the addition of lemon juice to dishes enhances the taste of tarragon. Everyone has also known since childhood and many love the Tarhun drink, the composition of which includes not only water, sugar and citric acid, but also an extract of the herb of the same name.
