name that volunteer

Discussion in 'Fruit and Veg Gardening' started by bhapimama, May 14, 2011.

  1. bhapimama

    bhapimama New Seed

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    discovered some volunteers in my garden today - some tomatos and either cuc, zucc or pumpkin ... anyone want to guess? the weird thing is that it appeared in my raised bed that I grew only tomatos in - I can't imagine how it found its way in there...

    [​IMG]
    ( photo / image / picture from bhapimama's Garden )
     
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  3. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Mmmm it's quite difficult to say at this early stage. It does look a lot like the sunflower seedlings that grow from the seeds the birds deposit in my garden though. Maybe you should leave it for a while and see what develops. :-?
     
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  4. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    I was thinking the same thing Eileen! I guess we won't know for certain until it gets a bit bigger.
     
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  5. daisybeans

    daisybeans Hardy Maple

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    I had the same idea. Goody, something to watch.
     
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  6. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Looks like the sunflowers I have coming up too. Birds plant almost as many seeds as gardeners do, but they aren't nearly as particular as to where they plant them as gardeners are. :rolleyes:
     
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  7. stratsmom

    stratsmom Flower Fanatic

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    I think we need a week by week update :p This will be interesting to see what the birds planted!!
     
  8. bhapimama

    bhapimama New Seed

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    sounds like fun - will do :)
     
  9. Pricklypear

    Pricklypear Seedling

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    I just assume that most of the volunteers in my garden get planted in there when I add compost.

    I've been pulling up most things as weeds. I planted three kind of winter squash last year. Who knows what the volunteers might be?

    I have a neighbor who only plants one variety of things like winter squash or cucumbers so she can let some of her volunteers grow.
     
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  10. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    And here my first thought was a squash.
     
  11. bhapimama

    bhapimama New Seed

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    I was totally thinking squash or cuc or pumpkin too, but was perplexed by the fact that it popped up in my raised bed that I have only grown tomatoes in. I haven't spread any compost yet so it couldn't have gotten in there that way - I'm thinkin' the sunflower theory might just be it. I did have several sunflowers in the garden last year and there were lots of seeds around that I'm sure the birdies were snackin' on :stew1:
    I also discovered some near where I had cucs, zucs, pumpkins & gourds last year - they're in the "in-ground" part of my garden - and they look slightly different than the one in the tomato bed. I'm going to have to rescue them before I till next weekend.

    [​IMG]
    one of the other ones in another part of my garden ( photo / image / picture from bhapimama's Garden )
     
  12. EJ

    EJ Allotmenteer Extraordinaire

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    That is definately a squash seedling.
     
  13. bhapimama

    bhapimama New Seed

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    squash as in pumpkin or zucchini? not cucmber?
     
  14. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    Hi bhapimama, I still think you have a squash in the first picture. Can you take a new picture and let us see it. The second one is definately a squash, you can see the seed casing on the cotelyden. I don't think either one is a cuke though.
     
  15. bhapimama

    bhapimama New Seed

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    you're right - I hadn't noticed the seed casing. so I guess we'll just have to wait to see if its a pumpkin or a zucchini ... or perhaps a gourd...
    As for the other one - the one in the raised bed - i'll take another pic in a couple days :stew1:
     
  16. bhapimama

    bhapimama New Seed

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    here are the new pics - whatdya' think? ;)

    [​IMG]
    sunflower volunteer? ( photo / image / picture from bhapimama's Garden )





    [​IMG]
    mystery squash volunteers ( photo / image / picture from bhapimama's Garden )
     

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