Borage in Zone 6B — Southeast

Borage is a fantastic addition to your Southeast garden. The cucumber-like flavor of the young leaves and the beautiful star-shaped blue flowers add a unique touch to salads and drinks. Plus, it's a pollinator magnet, which helps all your other veggies thrive during our long summer growing season.

Sure, our hot and humid summers can bring challenges like powdery mildew, but borage is relatively easy to manage with proper spacing and airflow. With our 208-day growing season, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy this versatile herb.

You can transplant borage seedlings outdoors from late March through mid April here in the Southeast. Just be sure to harden them off first by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions for about a week. This helps them adjust to the fluctuating temperatures and humidity we often see this time of year.

When you're ready to plant, space them 12-18 inches apart. Keep an eye on the weather forecast – a late frost can still happen, so be prepared to cover your seedlings if needed.

Direct sowing is the preferred method for borage, and it's super easy. From early April through late August, you can sow seeds directly into your garden. Borage germinates best when the soil temperature is consistently around 60-70°F, so waiting until after the last expected frost is a good idea.

Prepare your soil by loosening it and adding some compost. Plant seeds about ½ inch deep and 12-18 inches apart. Keep the soil consistently moist until they germinate, which usually takes about a week. Borage self-seeds readily, so be prepared for volunteers in the following years!

Borage needs moderate watering, but it's fairly easy-going. In the Southeast, our wet-summer rainfall usually takes care of a lot of the work. However, during drier spells or periods of intense heat, you'll need to supplement.

A good rule of thumb is to check the soil about 2 inches deep – if it's dry, it's time to water. Aim for about 1 inch of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. Water at the base of the plant to avoid getting the leaves wet, which can encourage fungal diseases in our humid climate.

If the leaves start to droop or turn yellow, it's a sign of underwatering. Conversely, if the leaves are constantly soggy and the plant looks wilted, you might be overwatering. A layer of mulch can help retain moisture and keep the soil temperature consistent.

You can expect your first harvest of borage flowers and leaves starting in late May and continuing through early November here in the Southeast. The flowers are ready to harvest when they're fully open and have a vibrant blue color. The young leaves are best harvested when they're small and tender.

To harvest, simply snip off the flowers or leaves with scissors or your fingers. Be gentle to avoid damaging the plant. Regular harvesting encourages continued production, so don't be shy about using your borage.

As our first frost approaches in late October, harvest any remaining flowers and leaves. You can dry the flowers for later use or let the plant self-seed for next year.

Here are some common problems you might encounter with borage in the Southeast:

Self-seeding aggressively

• What it looks like: Borage seedlings popping up everywhere in your garden, even where you didn't plant them.
• What causes it: Borage is a prolific self-seeder, and the seeds can remain viable in the soil for a long time. Our mild winters often allow them to germinate easily.
• How to fix/prevent it: Deadhead flowers before they go to seed. Pull up unwanted seedlings as soon as you see them. Consider growing borage in containers to limit its spread.

Powdery mildew

• What it looks like: White or grayish powdery coating on leaves, stems. Leaves curl, yellow, and die.
• What causes it: Various fungi that thrive in warm days, cool nights, and moderate humidity – a common occurrence in the Southeast. Dry leaf surfaces actually favor it (unlike most fungi).
• How to fix/prevent it: Improve air circulation through spacing and pruning. Remove affected leaves. Neem oil or potassium bicarbonate sprays help. Milk spray (1 part milk to 9 parts water) is surprisingly effective.

Can become leggy

• What it looks like: Long, spindly stems with fewer leaves, especially towards the base of the plant.
• What causes it: Insufficient sunlight or overcrowding.
• How to fix/prevent it: Ensure your borage is planted in a location that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Space plants adequately to allow for good air circulation and sunlight penetration. Prune back leggy stems to encourage bushier growth.

Southeast Specific Challenges: The hot and humid summers in the Southeast can exacerbate problems like powdery mildew. Be sure to provide good air circulation and avoid overhead watering to minimize disease pressure. Also, keep an eye out for Japanese beetles, which can sometimes be a nuisance on borage.

Borage makes a great companion plant for several vegetables in your Southeast garden. It's especially beneficial near tomatoes because it attracts pollinators, which improves fruit set. It also helps to deter tomato hornworms. Squash and cucumbers also benefit from the increased pollination that borage provides. Strawberries seem to thrive when planted near borage, as it may help to deter certain pests.

There aren't any well-known bad companions for borage.