Borage in Zone 6A — Mountain West

Borage is a fantastic addition to any high-altitude garden. The cucumber-flavored leaves and beautiful blue, star-shaped flowers are edible and add a unique touch to salads and drinks. Plus, it's a great pollinator attractant, which benefits your other crops in our short growing season.

Our Mountain West climate presents challenges like intense sun, alkaline soil, and a short growing season. But don't worry, borage is relatively quick to mature, fitting nicely within our roughly 153-day window. With careful timing, you can easily enjoy a bountiful harvest.

You can transplant borage seedlings outdoors from mid April through mid May. Before planting, be sure to harden off your seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions for about a week. This helps them adjust to the intense Mountain sun and cool nights.

When transplanting, space the plants 12-18 inches apart. Keep an eye on the weather forecast; late frosts are always a possibility here. If a freeze threatens, protect your young plants with row covers or blankets.

Direct sowing is the preferred method for borage, and it's easy to do! Sow seeds outdoors from early May through late July. Borage thrives in soil temperatures between 60-70°F, which typically occur around that time.

Prepare your garden bed by loosening the soil and amending it with compost. Plant seeds ½ inch deep, spacing them 12-18 inches apart. Keep the soil consistently moist until germination, which usually takes about a week. Borage is known to self-seed readily, so be prepared for volunteers in subsequent years!

Borage needs moderate watering, especially during our dry Mountain summers. While it can handle some dryness, consistent moisture will ensure the best growth and flowering. Aim to provide about 1 inch of water per week, either through rainfall or irrigation.

Use the "finger test" to determine when to water: stick your finger about 2 inches into the soil. If it feels dry, it's time to water. Water deeply at the base of the plant to encourage strong root growth and avoid wetting the foliage, which can contribute to powdery mildew in our cool nights.

Signs of underwatering include wilting leaves and stunted growth. Overwatering, on the other hand, can lead to root rot, indicated by yellowing leaves and a mushy base. Mulching around your borage plants with straw or wood chips can help retain moisture and regulate soil temperature in our intense sun.

You can expect your first borage harvest in late June through early October, about 55 days after sowing. The star-shaped blue flowers are ready to harvest when they are fully open. The young leaves are also edible and have a refreshing cucumber flavor.

Harvest flowers and leaves regularly to encourage continued production. Simply snip them off with scissors or your fingers. As the first frost approaches in early October, harvest any remaining flowers and leaves. You can dry the flowers for later use or freeze the leaves for cooking.

Here are the most common problems you might encounter with borage in the Mountain West:

Self-Seeding Aggressively

• What it looks like: Numerous borage seedlings popping up in unexpected places in your garden.
• What causes it: Borage readily self-seeds, especially in our dry climate where seeds can persist in the soil.
• How to fix/prevent it: Deadhead flowers before they go to seed. Remove unwanted seedlings as they appear. Consider growing borage in a contained area.

Powdery Mildew

• What it looks like: White or grayish powdery coating on leaves and stems.
• What causes it: Fungi thrive in warm days, cool nights, and moderate humidity. Dry leaf surfaces actually favor it.
• How to fix/prevent it: Improve air circulation by spacing plants adequately. Remove affected leaves promptly. Neem oil or potassium bicarbonate sprays can help. A milk spray (1 part milk to 9 parts water) is surprisingly effective.

Can Become Leggy

• What it looks like: Tall, spindly plants with few leaves, often flopping over.
• What causes it: Insufficient sunlight or overcrowding can cause borage to become leggy.
• How to fix/prevent it: Ensure your borage plants receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Thin out plants to provide adequate spacing. You might need to stake them.

Mountain West Specific Challenges: Our moderate-at-altitude heat and low humidity can actually be beneficial for borage, reducing the risk of fungal diseases compared to more humid regions. However, the intense UV light can stress the plants, so make sure they have adequate water and consider providing some afternoon shade during the hottest part of the day.

Borage is a great companion plant for several vegetables and herbs in your Mountain garden. It attracts pollinators, which benefits tomatoes, squash, strawberries, and cucumbers. Borage is thought to deter tomato hornworms and cabbage moths, protecting those crops.

I haven't found any specific plants that borage dislikes, but because it self-seeds so readily, make sure it doesn't overwhelm smaller, more delicate plants in the same bed.