Growing Borage from seed

[whiskyman]

Has anyone tried planting Borage seeds? It seems ages since I have planted some and no sign of life yet except for one, but just breaking through the surface and too small to know what it is yet.

[ancee]

I got some in a seed mix from the pound shop. They've self seeded everywhere this year, but I'd saved seeds too, so now I have hundreds! Pity you don't live nearer, you could've come and dug out as many as you wanted!

[mothhawk]

Did you sow them direct in the ground, whiskyman? Perhaps they are being eaten off by slugs as soon as they pop up their heads and before you get a chance to spot them. Slugs will also eat seeds before they sprout. Can't win with the little beggers really

[whiskyman]

I sowed them in pots and put in my cold frame which I thought would have a better chance of germinating. There not much slug activity in there. I do have 2 growths in one pot, one with leaves and one just a stem, that looks as a slug may have got to it, very small tho.

Shame I don't live near by ancee, I ould have loved some Borage plants

[Lumpy]

I started my borage seeds off in the porch last January. April they went outside but with a cut down bottle plonked on top at night. The plants grew very well but were quite small, only about 2ft high. This year they have grown everywhere from being self seeded from last years mini's.

You could try keeping them a bit warmer for a few weeks to start off with and see how it goes.

[meteor]

Late March 3 years ago I sowed some in modules in the p/tunnel, potted them on and planted them out in early May as sizeable plants so they were able to survive pest attacks , they went mad and self seeded everywhere, haven't sown any since but always have plenty in the herb border , in fact usually have to throw some on the compost heap.

[Glutton4...]

I found two tiny little Borage plants in the spring. They were up the garden in the Chook-run, and aboutbtwo inches tall, with flowers on. I dug 'em up and grew them on in a pot. They're now over a foot tall, and still flowering. Fingers crossed!

Never thought to try growing them from seed. D'oh!