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How to Grow Borage Canada | Complete Growing Guide

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Borage (Borago officinalis)

Close-up of a bright blue star-shaped borage flower — “Borago officinalis 003-1” by Fabrizio Tampieri is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

6 sources cited · Verified

Borage (Borago officinalis).

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

At a Glance

A cluster of borage flowers and hairy buds — “Borago officinalis. Locatie, De Kruidhof” by Dominicus Johannes Bergsma is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Borago officinalis. Locatie, De Kruidhof” by Dominicus Johannes Bergsma is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Borago officinalis Borage Powdery mildew Slugs DISEASES PESTS

Quick Facts

Close-up of a bright blue star-shaped borage flower — “Borago officinalis 003-1” by Fabrizio Tampieri is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Borago officinalis 003-1” by Fabrizio Tampieri is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Drainage well-drained; tolerates chalk, clay, loam, and sand

Soil & Growing Conditions

A whole borage plant growing in a garden bed — “Borago officinalis 'Borage' (Boraginaceae) plant” by Magnus Manske is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Borago officinalis 'Borage' (Boraginaceae) plant” by Magnus Manske is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Water: does best in dry, sunny places once established; tolerates poor/dry soil

Growth Stages

A cluster of borage flowers and hairy buds — “Borago officinalis. Locatie, De Kruidhof” by Dominicus Johannes Bergsma is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Borago officinalis. Locatie, De Kruidhof” by Dominicus Johannes Bergsma is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing and germination 0 Sow in April in seed trays or pots at about 15C, or direct sow outdoors in spring; germination takes roughly five to ten days (RHS).
Establishment and spacing 1 Space plants about 50cm apart in full sun or light shade, on any soil that is not waterlogged (RHS).
Vegetative growth 3 Plants grow into an erect habit 50-70cm tall; keep soil moist through summer for the biggest, best plants (RHS).
Flowering and harvest 6 Flowers appear about 10-12 weeks after a spring sowing; pick individual blooms just as they open. Watch for powdery mildew later in summer once peak flowering is over (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

Broad, bristly borage leaves — “Borago officinalis 'Borage' (Boraginaceae) leaves” by Magnus Manske is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Borago officinalis 'Borage' (Boraginaceae) leaves” by Magnus Manske is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: Pick blossoms as they open; use leaves fresh, picking young/tender leaves for best flavour (they are seldom dried). Successive sowings at 4-week intervals extend the harvest.

Diseases

Broad, bristly borage leaves — “Borago officinalis 'Borage' (Boraginaceae) leaves” by Magnus Manske is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Borago officinalis 'Borage' (Boraginaceae) leaves” by Magnus Manske is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

RHS: "May be susceptible to powdery mildews."

Pests

Close-up of the coarsely hairy borage stem — “Borago officinalis 01 05” by Lies Van Rompaey is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Borago officinalis 01 05” by Lies Van Rompaey is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Slugs

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

RHS: "Foliage may be damaged by slugs and leaf-mining flies."

Companion Planting

Strawberry plant in the ground with ripening fruit — Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
beneficial

Fragaria x ananassa

Pollinator attraction

References

  1. Peer-reviewed; abstract fetched directly by research subagent from University of Sussex repository. Researcher-led trial + UK-wide citizen-science replication.

  2. country=INTL

  3. country=UK

  4. Sow in seed trays and pots in April at 15C, or direct sow in spring. Space plants about 50cm apart. Thrives in full sun but tolerates light shade; grows on any soil that is not waterlogged, preferring moist soil in summer for the biggest plants. Annual borage reaches 50-70cm tall with an erect habit. Self-seeds readily; seedlings germinating later in summer usually flower but stay shorter. Can get powdery mildew later in summer, after peak flowering.

  5. country=US

  6. Fetched by research subagent; 2016-2018 field trials.

6 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What problems affect borage?

Our data links 1 disease and 1 pest to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.

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Instant PDF download · Written for Canadian growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team

Canadian vegetable growing guides · Checked against provincial agriculture & university extension guidance

Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real Canadian growing conditions, and checked against provincial agriculture and Canadian university extension guidance, and against frost-date and growing-season data, before publication.

Vegetable Growing Guides Canada

Last verified 2026-09-02

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