Borage is an old fashioned herb that may not be as familiar as other favorite herbs as it has few culinary uses. However, it is an attractive plant, easy to grow and it attracts bees to your garden. It is native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, and is known as the “Herb of Courage”. Borage wine was believed to give Roman soldiers courage and the flowers were often used to decorate their armour of the crusaders departing for battle. The distinctive star-shaped flowers can be blue, pink or white with dramatic black anthers.
Here is some advice to help you cultivate your own borage.
• Soil, Planting and Care
• Troubleshooting
• Harvest and Storage
Planting
Borage can be grown from seed straight into your garden, preferably planted in March, when the soil temperature is between 50°F and 77°F. Seeds should be planted 1/4”-1/2” deep and 6 inches apart, thinning to 12” apart when the plants are 4-6” tall and will grow 2-3 feet in height. It prefers partial shade and moderate watering, and the ground should be kept moist up to germination.
It has a single taproot and doesn’t appreciate being moved, so ensure you plant your borage in a position where it will remain.
Soil
Borage will proliferate in most types of soil but does best in average organic matter that is well tilled and well drained that has a medium PH. If you are unsure of your soil’s PH, you can purchase a PH test kit here.
Care
Borage is easy to care for, requiring little attention other than regular watering. As it has hollow stems, it needs adequate water to stop the leaves from drooping or curling. Borage plants die down in the winter, but it is a vigorous self-seeder, and you will be unlikely to need to buy any more seeds for the following year, as it will spread itself throughout the garden.
Troubleshooting
Borage does not suffer from any diseases, and is, in fact, said to be beneficial to other nearby plants, strengthening their resistance to insects and diseases. It is said it protects legumes, spinach, brassicas, strawberries and deters tomato hornworm moths from laying eggs on the plants. The one pest that borage may attract is the Japanese beetle, easily identified by its blue-green head and copper back. They devour most of the foliage, leaving only the veins behind. The best way to remove them is to pick them off by hand.
Borage plants can be top-heavy and may require some support in windy conditions to stop the soft stems from breaking.
Harvest and Storage
As borage is grown mainly as an ornamental herb, you may not wish to harvest the leaves, flowers or seeds. Although the leaves are edible, they are covered in fine hairs which make them unpleasant to eat. Their primary use is as a flavoring for gin. The borage flowers are beautiful with five pointed petals forming a star shape, and have a sweet honey taste. They can be added to salads as an edible garnish. The flowers can be harvested by gently separating the petals from their green bases. If not using immediately, they can be frozen in ice cubes for an attractive addition to drinks. Another idea is to crystallize them in sugar for use as cake decorations. They can also be used as potpourri
Borage leaves can be used as an organic fertilizer in your garden following the recipe below:
– Remove the leaves from one of the plants and place them in an air-tight container
– Add just enough water to cover the leaves and seal the lid
– Let the mixture ferment for two weeks
– Remove solids from container
– Mix 1 part Borage mixture to 10 parts water
– Use weekly
Why not grow your own borage to benefit and add a splash of color to your herb garden?
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