Borage (Borago officinalis) is used as an attractive plant in flower beds, in salads, and in traditional herbal medicine. Borage is often used as a companion plant in the landscape or the vegetable garden. This guide tells you which plants to use near the borage and which to plants to avoid.
Note: Borage should not be eaten by pregnant or nursing women as it will hurt them and their babies.
Why Does Borage Need Companion Plants?
Here are some of the ways companion plants help borage.
Repel Insects
Borage is often planted near other plants to repel insects. These plants include basil, beans, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, marigolds, melons, peas, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, strawberries, squash, and tomatoes. However, borage will repel pests from virtually any plant you put it near.
Bring Pest Predators
Borage also attracts predatory wasps that kill caterpillars and other predatory insects that eat pests. The same plants that benefit from having pests repelled benefit from the pest predators borage attracts.
Increase Nutrients
Borage brings potassium and calcium from deep in the soil and makes it available for any plants it is planted near. This is especially valuable to heavy feeders like melons, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
Benefit from Borage
Some plants just taste and grow better around borage. These include strawberries, basil, and marigolds.
Benefits Borage
Peas and beans fix nitrogen and make it available to borage so that it can grow better.
You can read my article about companion planting here.
Top 15 Best Companion Plants for Borage
Here are the top fifteen companion plants for borage and what they do to help.
Basil
Basil and borage grow well together. Borage attracts pollinators to pollinate the basil. Borage also attracts parasitic wasps that kill the pests on basil. In addition, borage repels some pests. Finally, borage is said to improve the taste of basil. At the same time, basil also repels insects, so you can alternate basil and borage as a border around your vegetable garden. Basil can grow quite large, so plant the borage far enough from the basil that the borage isn’t in the shade caused by basil.
Bean
Beans fix nitrogen from the air with bacteria in their roots. They fix more nitrogen than they can use, so excrete the excess into the soil. Borage can take advantage of that nitrogen. In return, borage repels the many pests that attack beans. Borage also attracts pollinators that will pollinate the beans, so you get a bigger crop. Plant borage as a border on the bean row or between rows of beans.
Cabbage
Borage deters cabbage worms, cabbage loopers, and other cabbage pests. Plant borage with cabbage to repel these pests and draw beneficial insects. Parasitic wasps that kill caterpillars live on borage nectar and attack the pests found on cabbages. For the best results, plant borage within the same row as cabbage, alternating the cabbage and borage plants.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are heavy feeders and suffer from many pests. Borage brings calcium and potassium to the surface of the soil where cucumbers can use it. In addition, borage repels insects that attack the cucumbers, draws beneficial insects that eat cucumber pests, and draws pollinators to the cucumber plants. Plant borage in a border around the cucumber vines. The cucumber vines will choke out the borage if you plant it in the same row as the cucumbers.
Eggplant
Eggplants are heavy feeders and have a lot of pest problems. Borage brings potassium and calcium to the soil where eggplant roots can use it. It also attracts both pollinators for the eggplant and predatory insects that eat eggplant pests. Borage also repels many of the pests that attack eggplant. Plant borage as a border around eggplants or in the row between eggplants.
Grapes
Borage makes a good living mulch around grapes to keep weeds down. Grapes also benefit from the potassium and calcium borage brings to the surface of the soil. Borage brings pollinators to pollinate the grapes and repels pests. Wasps and other beneficial insects are drawn to borage and eat any pests on the grapes. Plant borage within six inches of the grapevine to use it as a living mulch.
Marigolds
Marigolds and borage grow well together. Borage grows better around marigolds than it does without them. While both repel pests, they do a better job together. They can be planted together in a border around a landscape bed or vegetable garden to repel pests, bring pollinators, and bring predatory insects to eat any pests present.
Melons
Watermelons and cantaloupes need lots of nutrients. They also have lots of pests that want to eat them. Borage concentrates potassium and calcium in the soil so the melons can use it. Borage attracts pollinators to make a bumper crop of melons. In addition, borage attracts beneficial insects that eat pests and repels pests from the melon vines and fruit. Plant the borage in a border around the melon patch. The melon vines will choke out the borage if it is planted within the melon rows.
Peas
Peas, like beans, fix nitrogen from the air. They deposit the excess nitrogen in the soil where borage can use it. In return, borage repels pests that would eat the peas. Borage also attracts pollinators and other beneficial insects to the peas. Plant borage in the row next to peas or in the space between rows of peas for the best results.
Peppers
Peppers have many pests. They are also heavy feeders. Borage repels pests from peppers. In addition, borage attracts pollinators that pollinate the peppers. It also attracts predatory insects that eat pests on the peppers. You can plant borage as a border or within the row to help the peppers.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are actually a type of squash. Borage will repel common pests of pumpkins, so it should be planted as a border around the pumpkin patch. Borage also draws both pollinators and other beneficial insects to the pumpkin patch. Finally, it brings potassium and calcium to the soil surface where pumpkins can use them.
Radishes
Radishes are attacked by several pests that can destroy them. Borage draws beneficial insects that eat the pests on radishes. It also repels harmful insects. Borage brings potassium and calcium to the surface of the soil where radishes can use it. You can use borage as a living mulch between rows of radishes to save space.
Strawberry
Borage brings trace minerals to the surface of the soil, where strawberries can reach them. Borage is said to improve the growth and flavor of strawberries, and this might be why. In addition, borage attracts pollinators to pollinate the strawberries. Borage also attracts wasps that parasitize pests on the strawberries. Plant the borage as a border around the strawberry bed or between strawberry plants.
Squash
Both summer and winter squash benefit from the pest-repelling abilities of borage. Plant them in a border around your squash patch to reduce the number of pests attacking your squash and increase your squash harvest. Borage also draws nutrients such as potassium and calcium to the surface of the soil where squash can take advantage of them. Finally, borage attracts pollinators that fertilize the squash.
Tomato
Tomatoes are often attacked by tomato hornworms. Borage repels tomato hornworms, so planting it around your tomato plants in a border will repel them. In addition, planting borage near tomato plants improves the growth of the plant and the flavor of the tomatoes. Borage also draws bees and other pollinators to the tomato plants. Finally, borage attracts parasitic wasps that attack the caterpillars on your tomato plants. In addition to using it as a border, you can also plant borage in a circle around the tomato plant.
Top 3 Worst Companion Plants for Borage
Here are three plants to avoid planting near the borage.
Potatoes
Potatoes can spread potato blight to borage and kill it. Do not plant borage near potatoes. Tomatoes and eggplants do not spread potato blight to borage even though they can get it themselves.
Fennel
Fennel produces noxious chemicals that kill other plants. Borage planted too close to fennel will fail to thrive or even die. Plant fennel in a corner of the garden away from everything else.
Black Walnut
Black walnuts suppress all plants that are planted near them. Even after the black walnut tree has been removed, plants will not grow anywhere near the old roots for a long time. Borage just won’t grow near a black walnut tree.
In conclusion, borage helps many plants by repelling pests, attracting beneficial insects, and drawing pollinators. Borage benefits from the nitrogen beans and peas put into the soil. The fifteen best companion plants for borage are basil, beans, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, marigolds, melons, peas, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, strawberries, squash, and tomatoes. Do not plant borage near potatoes, fennel, or black walnut trees. Pregnant and nursing women should not eat borage as it may harm them and their babies.
