Borage in Zone 8A — Gulf Coast

Borage is a fantastic addition to any Gulf Coast garden. The cucumber-like flavor of the young leaves and the beautiful star-shaped flowers are a treat in salads and drinks. Plus, attracting pollinators is a breeze with borage, and that's a huge win for all your other veggies in our long growing season.

Sure, we deal with high humidity and disease pressure down here, but borage is relatively easy to manage with the right timing. With our 269-day growing season, you've got plenty of opportunity to get a few harvests in.

You can transplant borage outdoors from mid-February through mid-March. Before you put them in the ground, be sure to harden them off. Give them about a week of gradually increasing outdoor exposure to get them ready for the real world.

When you're transplanting, give each plant 12-18 inches of space. Keep an eye on the weather forecast; those early months can still bring some unexpected cool snaps, so be ready to cover your seedlings if needed.

Direct sowing is definitely the way to go with borage. It's easy, and the plants tend to be stronger when they start right in the ground. You can sow seeds from early March through mid-September.

To get started, prep your soil by loosening it up and making sure it's free of weeds. Borage likes soil temperatures around 60-70°F, so waiting until the soil warms up a bit in early spring is best. Sow the seeds about ½ inch deep, spacing them 12-18 inches apart. Borage self-seeds readily, so be prepared to have volunteers popping up!

Borage likes consistent moisture, but it doesn't want to sit in soggy soil, especially with our high humidity. During the hotter months, you'll probably need to water deeply a couple of times a week, especially if we're in a dry spell. In the cooler months, you can usually back off to once a week, or even less if we're getting regular rainfall.

Stick your finger about 2 inches deep into the soil. If it feels dry, it's time to water. Aim for about 1 inch of water per week, either from rain or supplemental watering. When you do water, try to water at the base of the plant to avoid getting the leaves too wet, which can encourage fungal diseases in our humid climate.

If the leaves start to wilt or turn yellow, you're likely underwatering. If the leaves are constantly wet or the plant seems droopy, you might be overwatering. A good layer of mulch around the base of the plant can help retain moisture and keep the soil temperature even. Pine straw or shredded leaves work well in our area.

You can expect your first harvest of borage around late April if you planted early, and you can keep harvesting all the way through early December with succession planting. The star-shaped blue flowers are ready to harvest when they're fully open. The young leaves are best when they're tender and haven't gotten too prickly.

To harvest, simply snip off the flowers or leaves with scissors or your fingers. Be gentle, so you don't damage the plant. Regular harvesting encourages more flower and leaf production.

As the first frost approaches in late November, you can harvest any remaining flowers and leaves to dry or use fresh. If you let some of the plants go to seed, you'll have plenty of volunteers next spring.

Here are the top problems you might face growing Borage in the Gulf Coast.

Self-seeding aggressively

• What it looks like: Borage seedlings popping up everywhere in your garden, even in places you didn't plant them.
• What causes it: Borage is a prolific self-seeder, and the seeds can easily spread.
• How to fix/prevent it: Deadhead the flowers before they go to seed, or pull up unwanted seedlings as soon as you see them.

Powdery mildew

• What it looks like: White or grayish powdery coating on leaves, stems. Leaves curl, yellow, and die.
• What causes it: Various fungi thrive in warm days, cool nights, and moderate humidity. Dry leaf surfaces favor it.
• 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) can be surprisingly effective.

Can become leggy

• What it looks like: Long, spindly stems with few leaves, especially towards the base of the plant.
• What causes it: Insufficient sunlight or overcrowding.
• How to fix/prevent it: Plant in a location that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Thin out plants to provide adequate spacing. Prune back leggy stems to encourage bushier growth.

Gulf Coast Specific Challenges: Our hot heat, very-high humidity, and wet-year-round rainfall can create a perfect environment for fungal diseases like powdery mildew. Be sure to provide good air circulation and avoid overhead watering to minimize these problems.

Borage is a great companion plant for several vegetables and herbs in the Gulf Coast garden. Plant it near tomatoes to help deter tomato hornworms. It also does well with squash and cucumbers, attracting pollinators that increase fruit production. Strawberries also benefit, as borage can help repel certain pests. Avoid planting borage near fennel, as they can inhibit each other's growth.