The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Herbs => Topic started by: Odin on June 26, 2012, 04:34:23 am

Title: Borage
Post by: Odin on June 26, 2012, 04:34:23 am
Who is growing Borage ? Is it in cultivated soil or ruff pasture ? Who has purchased Borage as seed or a plant ? Just interested, any advice appreciated.  :hshoe:
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Odin on June 26, 2012, 04:37:05 am
Just realised, I should have posted this in Herbs.  :dunce:
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Dan on June 26, 2012, 08:59:41 am
(I've moved this in to Herbs for you Odin)

At our old place we grew Borage in a cultivated bed from seed. Needless to say we never needed a second pack of seeds, and in subsequent years it grew where it wanted... :)

I need some here for the orchard understory, haven't got around to it yet but will probably but some seeds.

HTH.
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Andrew on June 26, 2012, 09:04:03 am
Dan, I think I have half a pack of borage seeds left from my sowing round the beehives. I shall bring them with me next time I see you.
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Rosemary on June 26, 2012, 09:09:05 am
next time I see you.

Hmm, yes, we need to get THAT sorted  ;D
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: northfifeduckling on June 26, 2012, 09:23:21 am
I got one plant from someone years ago and it self-seeds happily everywhere. We add the pretty flowers to salads but I'm not too keen on the texture of the leaves. I'd love hear of any tried and tested recipes on what to do with it!  :&>
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Dan on June 26, 2012, 02:10:36 pm
Dan, I think I have half a pack of borage seeds left from my sowing round the beehives. I shall bring them with me next time I see you.

Great, thanks, will need to try to remember what you look like!  :)
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: goosepimple on June 26, 2012, 02:36:23 pm
It was very invasive in our last place, we give the goats some to eat, you can eat the young leaves - taste like cucumber to me and I think it has all sorts of uses I haven't explored yet.  Once you have it you can't get rid of it!
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 26, 2012, 04:03:55 pm
its also a good fertiliser, in the same group as comfrey, tho the nutritional details escape me.
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Odin on June 27, 2012, 08:28:17 pm
Good replies, thank yer, so where do I buy it. Garden centres a bit 'main stream'. Try the adverteisers on here?
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: bloomer on June 27, 2012, 08:43:16 pm
you don't need much find a friend who can donate a cutting or a few seeds to you, it spreads well!!!



Title: Re: Borage
Post by: northfifeduckling on June 27, 2012, 10:17:25 pm
garden centres do sell it but how about asking on freecycle or Freegle? I'd happily offer a plant to anyone who asked  ::) . If you live in North Fife I'll give you one, too  ;D :&>
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 27, 2012, 10:28:44 pm
its a hedgerow plant here, tho not common.
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: YorkshireLass on June 27, 2012, 10:35:05 pm
Whereabouts are you Odin? I have some seeds lurking I think, and also a drying seed head from this year's plant.


I found it went bananas on vegetable patch soil, not quite so bananas on neglected, weedy soil. The roots aren't as deep as comfrey so although it's the same family it's not as useful in that regard. Pretty though, and bees love it.
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 27, 2012, 10:40:25 pm
its better than comfrey for edibility tho, cos its not as 'strong'
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Odin on June 28, 2012, 05:49:40 am
Been on the Harrods Horticulture Website as advertised at the bottom of the page, they have 100 seed packets for £1.75, not expensive. Going to order some other stuff of the "wild plant" nature.
What I am trying to do is to introduce more wild plants, preferably of colour into the fields around the borders and take note of successful plants. By successful I mean looking after themselves, combating nettles, thistles and docks. Also attracting more wild life which is ok at the moment.
Any suggestions for wild colour plants appreciated, got 6 acres to fill.
Where am I ? Where men are men and the sheep are frightened ! On t'Pennines between Huddersfield & Halifax on the snow line. Its' grim tha noz.  :sheep:
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: YorkshireLass on June 28, 2012, 10:46:30 am
Ah, good old Cleck-hudders-fax  :innocent:
Have a look here [size=78%]http://wildseed.co.uk/species/category/wild-flowers (http://wildseed.co.uk/species/category/wild-flowers)[/size] ? I'm considering a handful of seed to cover up my "lawn".
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Mel on June 28, 2012, 12:23:13 pm
I have lots of it growing wild here,shall be collecting the seeds  ;)
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Odin on July 04, 2012, 06:19:14 am
]http://wildseed.co.uk/species/category/wild-flowers     Emorsgate Seeds

What a good site, thanks for that. Very comprehensive and very well laid out.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: SallyintNorth on July 04, 2012, 01:35:34 pm
Borage is one of those plants just lifts your spirits. Useful too and the bees love it.  But yes it will be with you forever  :love: once you plant some! 

Cucumber-y flavour leaves good in salads sandwiches and, mostly traditionaly, Pimms!  (Should we ever have Pimms weather again...  :()

Flowers in salads and Pimms too.  :)

I don't see it up here in t'North, but I always had it in my gardens when I was a southerner.  (We used to drink more Pimms down there too  ;))
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: tizaala on July 05, 2012, 08:05:16 am
Caution  : FOR DEEP IN THE WOODS
 
its better than comfrey for edibility tho, cos its not as 'strong'
DO NOT EAT COMFREY
 
It can cause liver failure . and changes to pancreas,  and cancer in rats,
ok for topical application but do not eat.
have a look on google . :fc:
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: deepinthewoods on July 05, 2012, 09:08:37 am
tiz weve been thro this. the lethal dose is impossible to eat, if youd like me to ill dig out the link.
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: tizaala on July 05, 2012, 09:11:54 am
Ok, I suppose a little bit of overkill never did anyone any harm :innocent:
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: deepinthewoods on July 05, 2012, 09:21:23 am
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=24040.msg233285#msg233285 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=24040.msg233285#msg233285)
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Tiffmarie on October 01, 2013, 07:45:37 pm
Hi there. I know you posted this last year but I still figured I'd throw in my input regarding it. I've grown Borage two years in a row, now. I collected seeds from my plant last year and gave them to my mom and she also grew some. She grew hers up in Michigan in the ground. Since I don't have a yard (live in a condo), I grew mine in a large pot last year and this year, we were allowed to plant a few plants by our front stoop so they are in the ground. With all that said...

They grow MUCH better in the ground. My moms were incredibly huge and beautiful. Not to mention, they grew quite a bit longer than mine in the large pot did - she got about two months longer out of hers! They do attract Aphids so be sure to have something on hand to spray them with. I made my own concoction since I've found that store-bought ones tend to cause "burnt" leaves even if you spray in the evening.

Problem? Borage is like rabbits - it reproduces to a crazy degree. You WILL have MANY growing around your plant before you know it so watch out where you plant yours.

All in all, I love growing it. It tends to look ugly when it starts to die but the flowers are very beautiful and very tasty! I also enjoy cooking up the leaves but only the smaller ones. Saute them in a little butter and oil along with garlic and shallots. TASTY!
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: shygirl on October 01, 2013, 07:51:22 pm
we have borage, its quite hardy as we have treated it roughly and it still comes back. it grows really quickly which s handy.
Title: Re: Borage
Post by: Clarebelle on October 02, 2013, 07:00:44 am
I love borage, I love watching the bees enjoying it. And it does appear to survive anywhere! It popped up this year in my blueberry plant tub! I also planted some alongside some camomile in a big crate, its died off now and it will be interesting to see if it reemerges through the camomile next year.