Repotting guide

When & how to repot Creeping Borage (Borago pygmaea)

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.

Mature size: 20-30 cm tall, trailing/spreading 45-60 cm

Watch for — Powdery mildew: The bristly foliage is mildew-prone in dry-at-the-root, humid or crowded conditions. Keep soil moist, space plants, and remove affected leaves.

How to tell creeping borage needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For creeping borage, watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot creeping borage on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot creeping borage

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Creeping Borageis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Low, sprawling, short-lived perennial with lax trailing stems that scramble and root, spreading as a loose groundcover and self-seeding freely..

What size pot to step creeping borage up to

Pot creeping borage on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot creeping borage

Pot creeping borage on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting creeping borage

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check creeping borage regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh moist, fertile, well-drained soil, ph 6.0-7.5 at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water creeping borage in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for creeping borage

Creeping Borage wants moist, fertile, well-drained soil, ph 6.0-7.5. Humus-rich, free-draining soil suits it best. Tolerates a range of soils but resents heavy waterlogging, which rots the lax, sprawling crown. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting creeping borage — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot creeping borage?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for creeping borage. Creeping Borage is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into moist, fertile, well-drained soil, ph 6.0-7.5 so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does creeping borage need?

When is the best time of year to repot creeping borage?

Can you put creeping borage straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing creeping borage should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise creeping borage after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting creeping borage. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.