Skip navigation.

Borage - getting out of hand

Last post 29-05-2008 6:56 AM by OtterHounds. 4 replies.

Page 1 of 1 (5 items)

  • 28/05/2008 07:17 PM
    • Glenn
    • Stanmore
    • 28 May 2008
    • 2
    Not Ranked
    Reply | Contact

    A next door neighbour has a load of Borage that is getting out of hand and taking over his garden.

    He has tried removing this by hand but as it is self seeding it grows back bigger and bushier.

    Can you recommend any removal methods that will not harm the environment? 
  • 28/05/2008 07:21 PM
    In reply to
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
    • 4,596
    Top 10 Contributor
    Reply | Contact

    It's an annual, so pulling out the plants he doesn't want should do the trick.  

     

    http://patsysplot.blogspot.co.uk/
  • 28/05/2008 07:34 PM
    In reply to
    • Glenn
    • Stanmore
    • 28 May 2008
    • 2
    Not Ranked
    Reply | Contact

     Will they not just come back next year? as there are a lot of seeds and plants organically propogated from previous years.

  • 28/05/2008 07:52 PM
    In reply to
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
    • 4,596
    Top 10 Contributor
    Reply | Contact

     If he lets the plants he keeps set seed then he'll get more next year, but they're easy enough to pull out when small. It's possible(but not certain) that if he removed every one this year he'd still get a few next year from seeds in the soil, but there wouldn't be many.

    I'm surprised these are getting out of hand - usually slugs eat most of the seedlings and it's tricky to keep borage going in a garden relying just on self sown seedlings. 

    http://patsysplot.blogspot.co.uk/
  • 29/05/2008 06:56 AM
    In reply to
    • OtterHounds
    • Oxfordshire
    • 26 May 2008
    • 4
    Not Ranked
    Reply | Contact

    Borage is a prolific self seeder and can be a real nuisance quickly if left unfettered. It will take over as I can testify.

    You could use a residual herbicide to surpress germination, but sounds too drastic? and would obviously not just target the borage, to be honest there is no need providing you are willing to put in some elbow grease and have the time.

    Would agree with advice given, pull out the seedlings (or Hoe and leave to die) before maturing, certainly before flowering and they have chance to self seed. The mature plants will have a long tap root, get these out or keep an eye on them to make sure they do not regrow and seed.

    If you do this rigorously before the plants produce more seeds, you will get it under control

    Cool