Borage might be overtaking my SFG!

[swd12422]

I had no idea borage sends out tap roots... My last plant didn't, so I thought nothing of putting it in my new SFG....

I have two new plants starting in an adjacent square... What should I do? Is it going to choke out everything around it this summer? (I have a small strawberry plant starting next to it, which I really don't want to lose. Help?

[Erinz]

As far as my experience with borage takes me, it really won't start from roots? In fact, the roots are really tempermental and almost impossible to transplant. again, this is just my experience with it. It does, however, start readily from seed in my garden. I have to just thin them out whenever I see one starting in a place I don't want it to grow. The young leaves are edible, btw, and after a light steam they won't be so pokey. Kinda has a cucumber taste.

eta: mine do grow quite big -- I've had one single plant take up a 2'x2' area (or maybe even bigger!)

[swd12422]

Would it have seeds already (no flowers yet)? I assumed tap root b/c I read somewhere that they do spread that way, but that never happened with my last one.

[Erinz]

I dunno, I've never heard of it doing that? But perhaps there are some I just don't know about! Is it for sure borage?

And is this one that has seeded before at some point? Even last year or whatnot?

[swd12422]

I bought it as a larger plant a couple of months ago, so it's very possible it had seeds somewhere. I got brave and plucked the two errant plants and they came out pretty easily, so I think you're right (thankfully)!

[sunnysandiegan]

I purchased a borage plant in the Fall and I was told explicitly to keep it under control or it would overtake my small garden. My original plant is not actually doing all that great, so I allowed the second one to grow. That one looks gorgeous and is growing nicely. Any others are coming out!

[swd12422]

Thanks for confirming that... I guess the last plant was in such poor soil that it stayed under control til I killed it....

This one's getting a trim this weekend, and hopefully will do more good than harm this spring.

[Erinz]

Also, I'm pretty certain borage is only an annual. So, it does wither and die as part of its normal life span.

[plantnerd]

Borage in our area is a cool season plant that will survive winter, but as far as I know it spreads by seed, so just pull up your unwanted seedlings.