Growing Borage, also Burrage, Bugloss

Borago officinalis : Boraginaceae / the borage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        P              

(Best months for growing Borage in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 77°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 inches apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Use leaves before flowers appear, otherwise they will be 'hairy'. .
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Strawberry, tomatoes, zucchini/squash. Deters pests from many plants.

Your comments and tips

16 Apr 16, Purnima Sen (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Can I grow this plant in a pot in balcony.?I live in a condo unit.
12 May 21, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7a Mild Temperate climate)
I grow borage - since the bees love it. I have grown it in containers, no problem - it seems to grow everywhere. I have also noticed they tend to like potassium, moisture and rich soil. I have also grown them in various locations in my garden; they grow everywhere but I do notice a difference in size based on soil quality, light and moisture -- but again, they do grow just about everywhere..... I've yet to plant in a spot where it did not grow. This is a great plant for bees and the humming birds love it. When I lived in Burnaby, B.C., in an apartment on the third floor -- I had borage in containers, and all of a sudden humming birds appeared. Also, my third floor apartment balcony received minimal direct sunlight; it would be what I call BRIGHT shade (reflect from other apartment building windows) and the borage did well, in containers, in a compost and soil mixture.
19 Oct 15, Peter Kirstein (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I live in Dundee, KZN. Where can I buy seed for planting my own Borage?
17 Oct 14, Elizabeth (Australia - temperate climate)
I thought Comfrey was good as a fertiliser, not Borage. If it is that's great as I find it coming up everywhere! I keep bees and they love it. It grows nine months a year here. Flowers look lovely in ice blocks.
01 Oct 14, Amanda (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
This grows into a huge shrub in my garden in Cape Town! I'd say spacing is more like 100 cm x 100 cm, not 20 cm apart
01 Dec 13, Max (Australia - temperate climate)
Borage is great with pasta as well!! Just get some young leaves, chop them in a half, get the water boiling. In the mean time peel one small potato per pasta portion. I use fusilli. Chop potatoes finely and throw pasta borage and potatoes at once, with a pinch of extra salt for the spuds! While it's cooking, fry some anchovies and garlic in a frying pan, then drain the pasta and throw it in the frying pan and saute for a couple of minutes. Delicious and unique! Buon appetito!
12 Nov 13, Shane Mcsweeney (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have had wonderful success with Borage this year in melbourne. It survived a cold winter and has had the most amazing blue flowers. In conjunction with mustard i have had excellent bee activity for the last few months as we have entered spring now. As Borage grew quite big in my vege garden, i am hoping to only have one plat growing as a companion. I haven't used it for any eating yet, but i have read it is ok for salads.
19 May 13, Lockie (Australia - temperate climate)
Borage is a great bee attractor. Only use young (small) leaves in salads as they get bigger they get fury.
16 May 13, Wow! (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Note the growing hints that borage IS VIGOROUS! Have planted it and boy does it spread. But it is a great green cover crop. Any problems with borage taking over the world LOL and just trim and add to the compost heap.
07 Apr 12, graham best (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate)
I am growing it to feed the larvae of the Jersey Tiger Moth, a beautiful moth found only in the Channel Islands and the south of England.
Showing 31 - 40 of 51 comments

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