Borage in Zone 8B — Texas

Borage is a fantastic addition to any Texas garden. The cucumber-like flavor of its leaves and the beautiful, edible blue flowers add a unique touch to salads and drinks. Plus, it's a real pollinator magnet, drawing beneficial insects to your garden, which is always a win, especially with our long growing season.

Now, we all know Texas throws its fair share of curveballs – from the brutal Texas heat to unpredictable rainfall. But borage is surprisingly resilient, and with a little planning, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest from late April all the way into early December, thanks to our long 273-day growing season.

If you're starting borage indoors, aim to transplant seedlings outdoors from mid February through mid March. Harden them off for about a week before planting by gradually exposing them to the outdoor elements. Start with a few hours of shade and increase sun exposure each day.

Plant your borage seedlings 12-18 inches apart to give them plenty of room to grow. Keep an eye on the weather forecast. We can still get some unpredictable late freezes even around this time, so be ready to cover your young plants if necessary.

Direct sowing borage is the easiest method, and it works well in our Texas climate. You can sow seeds directly into the garden from late February through mid September. Borage self-seeds readily, so once you get it established, you'll likely have volunteers popping up each year.

Choose a spot with well-drained soil and full sun to part shade. Lightly rake the soil, scatter the seeds, and gently press them in. Keep the soil consistently moist until the seedlings emerge, which usually takes about a week or two. Thin the seedlings to 12-18 inches apart. Soil temperatures above 60°F are ideal for germination.

Borage prefers moderate watering, but it's not very drought-tolerant, which is important to remember during our hot Texas summers. During the spring and fall, when temperatures are milder and rainfall is more frequent (though still unpredictable), water deeply once or twice a week, providing about 1 inch of water each time.

The finger test is your best friend: stick your finger about 2 inches into the soil. If it feels dry, it's time to water. In the peak of summer, when we're battling the brutal Texas heat, you might need to water every day or every other day, especially if the humidity is low. Water at the base of the plant to avoid wetting the leaves, which can help prevent fungal diseases, especially when humidity is variable.

Signs of underwatering include wilting leaves and slow growth. Overwatering can lead to yellowing leaves and root rot. A good layer of mulch around your borage plants can help retain moisture in the soil and suppress weeds – just be sure to keep it away from the stem to prevent rot.

You can expect your first borage harvest starting in late April and continuing all the way through early December in Zone 8B, Texas. The flowers are ready to harvest when they are fully open and display their vibrant blue color. The young leaves are best harvested when they are tender and before the plant gets too mature.

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 of both flowers and leaves.

As the first frost approaches in late November, you can harvest any remaining flowers and leaves to use fresh or dry for later use. You can also leave some flowers on the plant to allow it to self-seed for the following year.

Here are a few common problems you might encounter with borage in Texas:

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, especially with our long growing season. The seeds spread easily, and before you know it, you have a borage explosion.
• How to fix/prevent it: Deadhead flowers before they go to seed. Remove unwanted seedlings as they appear. Consider growing borage in a container to limit its spread.

Powdery Mildew

• What it looks like: White or grayish powdery coating on leaves, stems, and sometimes flower buds. Leaves may curl, yellow, and eventually die.
• What causes it: Various fungi thrive in warm days, cool nights, and moderate humidity, conditions we often experience in Texas. Dry leaf surfaces actually favor powdery mildew, ironically.
• How to fix/prevent it: Improve air circulation by spacing plants adequately and pruning if necessary. Remove affected leaves promptly. Neem oil or potassium bicarbonate sprays can help control the spread. A milk spray (1 part milk to 9 parts water) is also surprisingly effective.

Can Become Leggy

• What it looks like: Long, weak stems with sparse foliage, causing the plant to flop over.
• What causes it: Often caused by insufficient sunlight or overly rich soil.
• How to fix/prevent it: Ensure your borage is planted in a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight per day. Avoid over-fertilizing. Pruning can also help promote bushier growth.

Texas Specific Challenges: Our hot-to-extreme heat and variable humidity can exacerbate issues like powdery mildew and leggy growth. Consistent monitoring and proactive measures, such as proper spacing, watering, and pruning, are crucial for successful borage cultivation in Texas. Fire ants can also be a nuisance, so be sure to keep them under control around your plants.

Borage is a great companion plant for many vegetables and herbs in your Texas garden. Tomatoes benefit from borage because it attracts beneficial insects that help pollinate the tomato flowers and deter pests. Squash and cucumbers also enjoy the company of borage for similar reasons – increased pollination and pest control. Strawberries also benefit as Borage is said to improve their disease resistance.

Avoid planting borage near fennel, as they can inhibit each other's growth.