Beautiful star-shaped flowers in blue, blue-violet or white. But the borage is not only ornamental, but also edible. You flirt with it and want to sow it yourself? That's how it's done!

The right seed

If you don't have seeds from your own cultivation or from drying borage, get some from a specialist shop. The seeds should not be older than a year. Otherwise their germination is limited. They are 5 mm long, brown and have a wrinkled surface.

Time of sowing, location and soil

Borage can be sown all year round. However, it is recommended to sow it from April at the earliest (better in May after the Ice Saints, as it is frost-tolerant) and by June at the latest. Plants from the previous year often sow themselves…

The location for the borage should be bright, sunny and warm. Wind-protected locations are ideal. It is not suitable for the balcony box due to its long taproot. The soil when planting should have the following characteristics:

  • profound
  • chalky or sandy
  • moderately nutritious
  • dry to fresh
  • well drained
  • relaxed

Sowing step by step

Borage need not be preferred. On the contrary: it does not tolerate transplanting very well. Therefore, it should be sown directly outdoors:

  • Dark germinators: cover seeds 1 to 4 cm deep with soil
  • Distance between seeds: 5 to 7 cm
  • Row spacing: 30 to 50 cm
  • keep soil moistured

What is its growing season like?

After you have sowed the borage, you will be able to see the first leaves after about 1 to 2 weeks. With bad luck, the seeds will take up to 6 weeks to germinate. This is primarily dependent on the location or the temperature and moisture in the soil.

Borage is usually fully grown after 35 to 45 days. It flowers - depending on the time of sowing - from June for several weeks. After flowering, the plant slowly dies. It is an annual and does not survive the winter period.

tips and tricks

A wonderful contrast results when you plant or sow blue to blue-violet and white varieties of borage in combination.

KKF

Category:

Vegetable garden