Take care
Leaves contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids — not for regular or heavy eating. Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis); the bristly hairs can irritate skin.
Borage
Borago officinalis
Sow outdoors around your last spring frost. Space plants 12 in (30 cm) apart.
Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Direct Sow
From seedRecommended- Sow outdoorsaround your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 55 days after sowing
Growing borage
- Spacing in the row
- 12 in (30 cm)
- Between rows
- 24 in (61 cm)
- Planting depth
- 1/2 inch deep
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Mature height
- 2-3 ft
- Life cycle
- Annual
Feeding
- How often
- Rarely: compost worked in at planting is enough, and extra nitrogen gives lush leaves at the expense of flowers.
Your borage, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.