Fertilising guide

How to fertilise Creeping Borage (Borago pygmaea)— schedule & NPK

Also called creeping borage, prostrate borage.

More about creeping borage

About Creeping Borage

Borago pygmaea · also called creeping borage, prostrate borage · herb

Borago pygmaea is a sprawling, short-lived perennial borage from Corsica and Sardinia, lower and more lax than annual borage. It bears nodding, pale sky-blue star flowers over rough, bristly leaves from summer into autumn, spreading by lax stems and self-seeding. A bee magnet for partial shade and moist, well-drained soil in cottage and wildlife gardens.

Growth habit: Low, sprawling, short-lived perennial with lax trailing stems that scramble and root, spreading as a loose groundcover and self-seeding freely.

What fertiliser creeping borage actually wants — and why

Creeping Borage is a soft, fast leafy herb that you harvest hard — a modest balanced feed keeps tender growth coming without tipping it into bland or bolting.

A balanced general feed (even N-P-K) at modest strength — enough nitrogen to keep replacing the leaves you pick, but not so much that flavour thins or it bolts to seed.

For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for creeping borage: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.

How often to feed creeping borage, and which months

Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For creeping borage:

Light feeder. Compost or leaf mould worked into the soil is usually enough; a single balanced spring feed in poor ground suffices. Avoid heavy feeding. In practice: a balanced liquid feed every few weeks through the main growing and harvesting season (spring through early autumn), more often the harder you are picking it.

The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when creeping borage is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.

What strength to mix for creeping borage

Half strength is a sensible default for creeping borage — enough to fuel regrowth after cutting, gentle enough that the leaves stay aromatic rather than watery.

Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water creeping borage first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the creeping borage watering schedule.

Signs you are over-feeding creeping borage

Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for creeping borage:

Fast, soft, pale growth with diluted, less aromatic flavour.
Early bolting (running to flower) and a bitter edge.
Salt crust and scorched tips on container plants.

Signs you are under-feeding creeping borage

Pale, slow regrowth after cutting and small leaves.
A tired, stalled plant that cannot keep up with harvesting.
Yellowing older leaves in a long-spent pot.

If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full creeping borage care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.

Flushing and leaching the salts

Pot-grown creeping borage builds up feed salts quickly — water until it drains each time and flush the pot with plain water every few weeks, especially on a sunny windowsill.

Organic vs synthetic feeds for creeping borage

Organic options

A diluted seaweed feed or worm-casting tea keeps soft growth coming without overdoing it. UK: dilute seaweed or Westland; US: Espoma Garden-tone or Neptune's Harvest. Gentle, hard to overdo, flavour-friendly.

Synthetic / liquid feeds

A balanced liquid feed at half strength through harvesting — UK: Phostrogen, Baby Bio or Westland; US: Miracle-Gro all-purpose at half strength. Fast regrowth; just do not overdo the nitrogen.

Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.

Fertilising creeping borage — frequently asked questions

What fertiliser does creeping borage need?

A balanced general feed (even N-P-K) at modest strength — enough nitrogen to keep replacing the leaves you pick, but not so much that flavour thins or it bolts to seed. Creeping Borage is a soft, fast leafy herb that you harvest hard — a modest balanced feed keeps tender growth coming without tipping it into bland or bolting.

How often should I feed creeping borage?

Light feeder. Compost or leaf mould worked into the soil is usually enough; a single balanced spring feed in poor ground suffices. Avoid heavy feeding. Light feeder. Compost or leaf mould worked into the soil is usually enough; a single balanced spring feed in poor ground suffices. Avoid heavy feeding. In practice: a balanced liquid feed every few weeks through the main growing and harvesting season (spring through early autumn), more often the harder you are picking it.

What strength of feed for creeping borage?