Looking for the perfect plant to grow? Medicinal herb, pollinator flower, companion plant, and fresh vegetable – Borage Does It All! We’ll walk you through how to grow and harvest borage so you can start using this amazing herb.
Borage is a vigorous self-sowing annual flower with a multitude of benefits. The blue flowers are rich in nectar, which makes them highly attractive to bees. Honey made from the nectar of borage flowers is a delightful treat! Not only is borage known for its many medicinal properties, but it also makes an excellent companion plant and has culinary uses, too. Don’t miss out on the benefits of growing borage in your garden!
Borage (Borago officinalis) is an easy to grow annual herb prized for its edible flowers and leaves. The vivid blue star-shaped flowers have a mild cucumber flavor and make a beautiful garnish for salads, cocktails, and more. The leaves also have a faint cucumber taste and can be used fresh in salads or dried for tea.
In addition to its culinary uses, borage is a wonderful bee-friendly plant that attracts pollinators to the garden. It can also act as a companion plant, repelling pests like cabbage worms and tomato hornworms.
Once borage completes its growing cycle, it produces small dark seeds that can be collected and saved for planting the following year. Here is a complete guide on how to successfully harvest and store borage seeds from your garden.
When to Harvest Borage Seeds
-
Borage seeds are ready for harvest when the flowers fade and the green seed pods swell and turn brown. This usually occurs mid to late summer.
-
Check the plants daily once flowering starts to slow down. Gently open the seed pods to see if the seeds inside have turned dark brown/black and detach easily.
-
Mature seeds will fall out of the pods very easily Immature seeds will stick Only collect dark mature seeds.
-
Expect seeds to mature over a period of a few weeks, not all at once. Make frequent checks to catch seeds at peak maturity.
How to Harvest Borage Seeds
There are three main methods for collecting borage seeds:
1. Collect Seeds from Pods
-
Use your fingers to gently pry open the seed pods once they turn brown and start to dry.
-
Carefully roll or shake the seeds out into a container. Avoid crushing the pods.
-
Check plants daily and harvest seeds as pods mature. Don’t wait too long or seeds may fall to the ground.
2. Gather Fallen Seeds
-
Mature seeds drop quickly from the pods and fall to the ground below.
-
Place a tray, piece of cardboard, or cloth underneath plants to catch fallen seeds. Check frequently.
-
Look around the base of plants for dropped seeds and sweep up to collect.
3. Cut Stems and Remove Seeds
-
When plants start to decline, cut back flower stems bearing seed pods.
-
Lay stems on a sheet or tray and detach pods, rolling seeds out. Discard pods.
-
This pruning also tidies up plants at end of season.
How to Dry and Store Borage Seeds
-
Spread seeds in a single layer on paper towels or screens and allow to dry for 1-2 weeks.
-
Once thoroughly dry, place seeds in paper envelopes or glass jars labeled with variety and date.
-
Store in a cool, dry location away from direct light. Properly stored, seeds remain viable for 2-3 years.
-
Discard any seeds that appear moldy, shriveled, or damaged before storage. Only save plump, healthy seeds.
Tips for Successful Borage Seed Saving
-
Grow only one borage variety to prevent cross-pollination and hybrid seeds.
-
Let a few plants go to seed while harvesting others for culinary use.
-
Isolate borage varieties by at least 50 feet to avoid cross-pollination between plants.
-
Cut back flowering stems before seeds form every few weeks to extend the harvesting period.
-
Seeds fall quickly once mature. Check pods twice daily to maximize your seed harvest.
-
Expect low yields of seeds from individual plants. A 10-20 plant borage patch will give enough seeds for replanting.
-
Store seeds properly in a cool, dry location to maintain viability. Discard any non-viable seeds.
Saving borage seeds is easy and rewarding. A small investment of time yields a future free supply of seeds for new plants, allowing you to continue growing this multifunctional herb in your garden for years to come.
How to Harvest Borage
You can harvest both the borage leaves and flowers. Borage leaves change flavor as they mature and they become hairy. Harvest the leaves while they are still young for the best flavor. Flowers can be harvested as soon as they open.
Dry borage leaves by placing them on a cookie sheet for several weeks away from moisture. Once dried, store in an airtight container, such as a glass jar. The longer the leaves have been stored, the lesser the medicinal properties. Replenish your borage supply annually.
The leaves, when harvested young, have a slightly salty, cucumbery flavor and can be eaten cooked, made into tea, or served raw in salads.
Fresh borage flowers make an attractive garnish for salads, sandwiches, and refreshing beverages. The flowers can also be brewed into a refreshing tea.
Borage seeds are also edible and nutritious!
How to Grow Borage
- For best results, direct sow borage seeds outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Choose a location that receives full sun and has well-drained soil.
- Borage develops a deep taproot, so transplanting is not recommended.
- Sow seeds ¼” deep and space 12” apart. Keep the soil moist, and seeds will germinate in 7 to 14 days.
- Borage starts flowering in the late spring to early summer. It will continue blossoming if the flowers are picked regularly.
- Borage is a vigorous self-sower. To prevent self-sowing, snip bloom heads off of any plants you do not want to reseed.
How to GROW & USE BORAGE
FAQ
How and when to harvest borage?
Once borage matures, harvest the leaves and flowers as needed. The plant leaves do not dry well, so use them fresh. Pick the flowers before they have fully bloomed, and when harvesting, remove the leaves and flowers from the plant with your fingers or with scissors.
What part of borage is medicinal?
Borage flower and leaves are used for fever, cough, and depression. Borage is also used for a hormone problem called adrenal insufficiency, for “blood purification,” to increase urine flow, to prevent inflammation of the lungs, as a sedative, and to promote sweating.
Will borage self seed?
It is an annual, but readily self-seeds and thrives in full sun.Jan 21, 2020
Can you harvest borage seeds?
Borage is an annual herb grown for its edible flowers and leaves as well as its medicinal properties. Once established, borage readily self-seeds, providing you with an ongoing supply year after year. With a few simple steps, you can harvest borage seeds to collect and replant. When Are Borage Seeds Ready to Harvest?
Does borage produce seeds?
Borage is an annual herb with edible flowers and beneficial properties. The plant readily produces seed after flowering, and then quickly releases the seeds back into the garden. Learn how to harvest borage seeds, to plant in the herb garden next season. We have grown borage in the flower and herb garden for several seasons now.
How do you know if borage seeds are ready to harvest?
Borage plants flower profusely, and these blooms develop into seed pods. As the summer progresses, you will notice the flowers start to wilt, and the seed pods will turn from green to a brownish hue. This transformation indicates that the seeds are nearing maturity. How do I know if borage seeds are ready to be harvested?
When do borage seeds come out?
Borage seeds form after the plant finishes flowering, usually in mid to late summer. Monitor the faded flower heads starting in July or August. Seeds are ready to harvest when they turn from green to dark brown or black and easily detach from the plant. Ripe borage seeds often drop from the plants before you harvest.
Is borage good for self seeding?
Borage is good at self-seeding (although nowhere near as prolific as mint). You can either let the seeds fall to self -seed for next season, or collect the seeds and replant. Wait for the flowers to die off and pick the seeds before they fall to the ground.
How do you collect borage seeds?
Place the harvested seeds into your container. Another way to collect borage seeds is to look on the ground under the plant. If you have been checking the plant daily to collect newly matured seeds, and find minimal or no seed, you may not be catching them on time. Check on the ground underneath the plant for any freshly fallen seeds.