When to Plant Borage in Cairns, Tropical Guide

Sow May to August. Right now in September it is out of season. The next sowing month is May.

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 Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Borage

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 Tropical

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - - - S/T/D 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: 21.4°C (optimal range: 10–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant

Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.

How to Grow Borage in Tropical Australia

When to Plant

Sow in dry season (Apr-Aug). Struggles in wet season humidity.

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

Tropical Growing Tips for Borage

Recommended Varieties

  • Standard Borago officinalis

Key Challenges

  • Humidity causes mildew
  • Heat above 35C shortens lifespan

Pro Tips

  • Treat as cool-season annual
  • Sow in May for best results
  • Afternoon shade helps

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

Also worth sowing in the tropical zone this September: Lemongrass, Ginger, Cucumber and Basil.

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Common 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:

Does borage grow all year round in Cairns?

No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are May to Aug. 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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.