The seedling is vigorous and emerges rapidly. It forms a basal rosette and has a growth habit similar to canola. Weeds are a problem if they become competitive before the shoot starts elongating. No herbicides are registered for use in borage. Borage has good crop tolerance to most grass herbicides, such as Poast, Fusion, Hoe-Grass, Venture and Assure.
Borage has poor crop tolerance to all broadleaf herbicides.
This treatment controlled tiny seedlings of wild mustard and stinkweed. Volunteer borage also presents a weed problem. The heavy shatter loss results in a stand too thick to keep for seed production and some seeds are germinating all summer long whenever it rains. Honey bees at a density of one to two hives per acre are required to pollinate the borage crop. A small isolated field near the woods may be able to rely on native pollinators, but normally honey bee colonies must be brought in and rented.