When to Plant Borage in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Sow October to December. Right now in September it is out of season. The next sowing month is October.
Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Borage guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
A hardy annual herb with stunning blue star-shaped flowers and cucumber-flavoured leaves. Excellent companion plant and pollinator attractor. Self-sows prolifically once established. Both flowers and young leaves are edible. One of the easiest herbs to grow in Australia.
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | S | S/T/D | S/T/D |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 11.2°C (optimal range: 10–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
How to Grow Borage in Cold / Highland Australia
When to Plant
Sow Oct-Dec only. Short season.
- Soil
- Any well-drained soil, even poor soils. Tolerant of a wide range of conditions.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade. Flowers best in full sun.
- Spacing
- 30cm apart, 45cm between rows
- Watering
- Moderate watering. Drought tolerant once established. Overwatering causes lanky, floppy growth.
Companion plants: Tomato, Strawberry, Squash, Brassicas
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Borage
Recommended Varieties
- Standard Borago officinalis
Key Challenges
- Short growing window
- Late frosts damage seedlings
Pro Tips
- Start under cover and transplant very young seedlings
- Will self-sow for following years
Harvesting Borage
When ready: Harvest young leaves before flowering for best flavour. Pick flowers when fully open. They should pop off easily.
How to harvest: Pick young tender leaves from top of plant. Pluck individual flowers by pinching stem behind flower. Older leaves become hairy and unpalatable.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join Garden BuddyCommon Questions About Borage
When do you plant borage in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): May to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Aug to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan, Aug to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Dec
Does borage grow all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Oct to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.