Sparkling sky-blue blooms dance atop the fuzzy stems and leaves of annual borage.
Harvest this herb’s edible flowers to beautify salads, summer drinks, or desserts.
Toss borage blooms onto fanned tomato and mozzarella slices for afestive 4th of July feast.
Credit:Rob Cardillo
Freeze flowers in ice cubes to decorate drinks with cool color.
Use the leaves (which taste somewhat like cucumber) in salads and cold drinks.
The noticeable bristly hairs dissolve when borage is cooked.
Credit:Blaine Moats
When eating it raw, choose young blooms.
Borage is toxic when ingested by dogs, cats, and horses.
Planting borage in the herb garden adds height aboveparsley,thyme,oregano, and other ground-hugging herbs.
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
Boragegrows well in containersand blooms indoors when given heat and lots of light.
Prepare the planting bed for borage by loosening the soil and removing all the weeds.
Cover the seeds with 12 inch of soil.
Credit:Robert Cardillo
Water the seeds well.
The seeds germinate in five to 10 days.
Direct sowing in the garden is preferred because the seedlings develop long taproots, making them tough to transplant.
Credit: Stephen Cridland
However, the seeds can also be sown indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last predicted spring frost.
After the seedlings are established, thin them to stand 12 to 18 inches apart.
The plants reach maturity in June or early July and bloom until the first frost.
Credit:Marty Ross
Borage Care Tips
Borage is an easy-to-grow herb that requires little maintenance and attracts pollinators.
Light
Borage prospers infull sunand should receive at least six hours of direct sunlight daily.
The plant tolerates part shade.
Soil and Water
Borage grows best in dry to medium-moist, well-drained soil.
The borage plant rarely needs watering after it is established, but water it during extended periods of drought.
Temperature and Humidity
Borage is drought-tolerant and thrives in a sheltered area.
It handles the summer heat but rarely survives a frost.
The borage plant is tolerant of humidity as long as itssoil has good drainage.
Fertilizer
Pruning
Borage doesnt require much pruning.
As the season progresses, the side stems tend to get heavy and eventually break off.
Cut them back to the main stem, which encourages the growth of new side shoots.
Potting and Repotting
Borage grows and flowers indoors in containers if given heat and plenty of light.
Choose a container at least 12 inches wide and deep that offers excellent drainage.
Fill it with well-draining, loamy soil and add a single seedling or a seed.
Pests and Problems
Borage is seldom affected by insects or diseases.
Pollinators are attracted to the sweet nectar of the plants flowers.
It is a hardy, deer-resistant plant that reproduces and spreads rapidly.
Seeds:Each bloom usually contains four seeds that dont all mature at the same time.
They start out white and mature to black when they are ready for harvest.
Flicking the blooms gently can encourage the seeds to fall.
Cuttings:Prepare a bed with well-draining sandy soil.
Take 3 4-inchstem tip cuttingsfrom the borage plant.
Remove foliage from the bottom half and dip the cuttings in rooting hormone.
Insert them into the prepared bed and keep them lightly moist until they root.
This method usually works better than rooting the herb in individual pots because seedlings dont transplant well.
Harvesting Borage
Pluck tender young leaves as needed at any time during the growing season.
The entire plant can be harvested as soon as it begins to flower.
Harvest the vibrant blue flowers as edible decorations or add them tocut flower arrangements.
It usually blooms later in the season than its cousin with sky-blue flowers.
Like its better-known relative, it has a flavor and scent that resembles cucumber and attracts pollinators.
As with other borage types, it attracts pollinators and has a mild cucumber scent and flavor.
Borage increases pollinator activity in the garden because bees and other beneficial insects are attracted to borage flowers.
Borage planted near squash may also deter squash pests.
Strawberry farmers often plant some borage in their fields to enhance the flavor and yield of the strawberries.
Borage is also known for discouraging worms from preying on tomatoes.
Plant small bush tomato varieties 24 inches apart and larger varieties 36 to 48 inches apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Borage is a prolific self-seeder but not to the point of being invasive.
To prevent it from reseeding, cut off the flower stalks before they set seed.
Unwanted seedlings that appear are easy to pull.
Borage is commercially cultivated for borage oil extracted from the plants seeds.
Borage seed oil nutritional supplements are available as liquid drops, capsules, and softgels.
Borage is the traditional decoration for gin-based summer drinks.
you’re able to even makeborage-flavored ice cubesto float in your favorite drink.
