Little weeds

beckstrous

Hi All

Despite repeated hoeing and digging, I am still getting little tiny weeds in our veg patches. Where I have planted potatoes and asparagus and things like that it's okay because I can tell which little seedlings are weeds, but in some of the other beds (e.g. where I planted the carrots, or the brassicas bed where I have put some radish) I am sometimes not sure what are weeds and what are my seedlings. The weeds are very tiny but I am not sure what to be doing to combat them (and also to make sure I do not pull out any seedlings?). Advice would be much appreciated. We grew in containers the first time we did veg so this was not really a problem...

Lotus-eater

You go on google and learn what the seedlings, that you have sown, look like.

conradmum

Hello again.

If the weeds are tiny don't worry about them too much. Most seedlings look the same when they sprout their first leaves. When the second leaves come you'll be able to see differences between them. Also, you'll notice that the seeds that you planted will all be growing along in a line.

Even if you inadvertantly pull up some vegetable seedlings it won't matter as the plants will need to be thinned at some point anyway.

If you're really unsure, type in 'carrot seedlings' or whatever into google images and you'll get plenty of examples to compare.

With time, you'll be able to differentiate easily and decide what self-seeded plants you want to keep.

chelms38

Lotus-eater wrote: »

You go on google and learn what the seedlings, that you have sown, look like.

That is a good tip. :beer:

beckstrous

Thanks guys,

Yes, the weeds are tiny. But they keep reappearing and I was a bit worried they might obstruct my other seedlings in some way. In the bed where I have asparagus, rhubarb and jerusalem artichoke, or where I put the broad bean plants, it's not a problem because it's obvious what are weeds and what are not. But where I am hoping for little seedlings to sprout it is a bit more tricky!

Lotus-eater

Although I gave a bit of a throwaway answer, basically it's true. Experience will soon show you what you can and can't pull up.
This is one of the reasons veg are sown in rows, a quick hoe down the sides of the row and most of the weeds are sorted.
If you grow in blocks, painstaking on knee weeding by hand is needed. And around the rows as well.
It does pay to get in very early and weed by hand while the weeds and veg have just the seed leaves, then when you pull up the weed seedlings it shouldn't affect the veg's roots. If you let them get bigger it might.

I don't agree with Conrads Mum, most seedlings look completely different with their first set of leaves, you may get some weed lookalikes, but not many.

conradmum

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Although I gave a bit of a throwaway answer, basically it's true. Experience will soon show you what you can and can't pull up.
This is one of the reasons veg are sown in rows, a quick hoe down the sides of the row and most of the weeds are sorted.
If you grow in blocks, painstaking on knee weeding by hand is needed. And around the rows as well.
It does pay to get in very early and weed by hand while the weeds and veg have just the seed leaves, then when you pull up the weed seedlings it shouldn't affect the veg's roots. If you let them get bigger it might.

I don't agree with Conrads Mum, most seedlings look completely different with their first set of leaves, you may get some weed lookalikes, but not many.

Hey...... most seedlings have seed leaves to start off with and the true leaves come next.



To a novice gardener seedling leaves will look very similar, if they wait for the true leaves the plants will be much easier to differentiate between.

Sheesh!

Lotus-eater

Well that's an opinion, I think most seed leaves from weeds look different from most veg seed leaves. It's how I weed, if I'm not sure, I'll leave it until I am.