Description

Borage Azure Blue (Borago officinalis)

Borage is an annual herb that is also known as Starflower. It is in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae and is native to the Mediterranean region.

Borage is a great addition to your garden as it aids in breaking up/aerating soil, it is a dynamic accumulator, it can be used as a mulch and added to your compost pile and it can be used as a trap crop for aphids.

The leaves and stems of the plant are grey/green in colour and are covered with tiny hairs (pubescence). The flowers of the plant are blue in colour and star shaped. Both the flowers and the leaves are edible.

Benefits

Borage is an edible plant:

• The leaves of the plant can be eaten raw or cooked and the flowers can be used to garnish salads and drinks.

Borage is self-seeding:

• Although Borage is an annual plant, once established it will continue to come back year after year. When left to set seed, it will self-seed without any extra assistance.
• Self-seeding plants such as this are an ideal fit for a low-maintenance garden and are great for those who don’t have much time to spend in the garden and want to create a space with less to do each year.

Borage is a dynamic accumulator:

• Borage is able to dynamically gather nutrients that accumulates in your soil. This is beneficial as it can help reduce nutrient leaching as well as to ensure that nutrients are gathered and stored
• In particular, Borage is a great accumulator of potassium.

Borage can be used as a mulch or added to your compost pile:

• Since Borage is able to capture and effectively store nutrients such as potassium, it can be chopped and dropped around other plants in your garden to be used as a mulch.
• It is beneficial for many types of plants, in particular flowering and fruiting plants.
• Using organic plant material adds to nutrients in the soil for the uptake of other plants as well as improves soil quality, reduces weeds and helps in retaining water.
• As a nitrogen and potassium rich material, Borage can be added to any system of composting that you may have in order to aid in the breakdown of material.

Borage aids in breaking up and aerating soil:

• Borage has a simple root system, however the way in which they penetrate the soil can help to break up and aerate soil that is more compact.

Borage is best known for its ability to attract bees:

• Currently in the world, bees are under threat of mass extinction due to their endangered status. Without these pollinating creatures, growing food will be difficult without an immense amount of effort.
• Borage is in bloom for a particularly long season and their purple/blue flowers, as well as their simple structure make them easy for bees to access. Bees are attracted to Borage flowers over the flowers of many other plants.
• Borage is a favourite to honeybees, bumble bees as well as small native bees.

Borage can be used as a trap crop for Aphids:

• This plant is an effective companion plant because it is great at attracting aphids.
• This may seem like a bad thing, however using Borage as an effective trap crop, these pests can be kept away from potentially damaging other crops in your garden.
• Insects like ladybugs feed off of aphids, planting Borage will be attract them to your garden and help to maintain a balance in the ecosystem.

Borage is a good companion plant:

• Borage is known to be a good ‘nurse’ plant in a garden and works effectively with pretty much all types of plants, making it great to use for companion planting.
• Borage is compatible with a wide range of different fruits and vegetables. Particularly: Cabbages and other brassicas, beans, cucumbers, fruit trees, squash, strawberries and tomatoes.

 

How to use

• Season: Spring 
• Germinate: 5-15 days
• Depth: 1.5cm
• Spacing: 30 x 30 cm
• Harvest: 8 weeks
• Height: 2.4 - 3.6m
• Flowering Season: All year
• Exposure: Full Sun

Ideal growing conditions:

• Borage prefers well-drained soil with a medium pH.
• It should be planted in a sunny area, where bees and other pollinators are desired.

For placements of large order please contact us at: office@greenhouston.co.za.