When to Plant Borage in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
Sow August to November. Right now in September you can sow.
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 Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra 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 Subtropical
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | S | S/T/D | S/T/D | T/D | - |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 20.4°C (optimal range: 10–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant
That figure is read off my own weather station here at Dayboro in South East Queensland at 18:55 yesterday, not a model. The radar, the rain gauge and the forecasts behind it sit on Dayboro.au.
How to Grow Borage in Subtropical Australia
When to Plant
Sow Mar-Jun and Aug-Nov. Avoid midsummer heat.
- 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
Subtropical Growing Tips for Borage
Recommended Varieties
- Standard Borago officinalis
Key Challenges
- Summer heat causes rapid bolting and decline
- Self-sows so prolifically it can become weedy
Pro Tips
- Autumn sowing produces strongest plants
- Pull self-sown seedlings you don't want early
- Excellent companion for strawberries
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.
Common Borage Pests in Subtropical Zones
Organic prevention: Borage is more often a pest SOLUTION than a pest problem. It attracts hoverflies and parasitic wasps that control aphids on nearby crops.
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 Brisbane?
No. In the Subtropical zone the planting months are Aug to Nov. 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 Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.