A volunteer plant is a seedling that appears in a garden or agricultural field without being intentionally sown. These plants grow spontaneously from seeds that have found their way into the soil, often offering an unexpected bonus to the grower. They germinate and establish themselves when conditions like temperature and moisture are favorable, indicating a healthy environment. This is common in areas cultivated in previous seasons.
What Defines a Volunteer Plant?
The core characteristic of a volunteer is its unplanned presence in a specific location. Unlike a deliberately planted crop, a volunteer appears on its own schedule. The term is generally reserved for species that are considered desirable or previously cultivated, distinguishing them from a common weed. A weed is typically defined by its undesirability and tendency to compete with crops, but a volunteer is often a welcome surprise.
For example, a tomato seedling growing in a carrot patch is a volunteer, whereas a thistle is a weed. However, a desirable plant can be considered a weed if it interferes with other plants or disrupts a planned design. This distinction highlights that a volunteer’s identity is based less on the species itself and more on the manner of its arrival. The plant’s vigor is often notable, proving it has adapted well to the specific soil microclimate.
How Volunteer Seeds Arrive
Seeds arrive in the soil through several mechanisms, often beginning with the dispersal of previous crops. One common source is the composting process, where seeds from discarded fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes or squash, survive the decomposition heat. These viable seeds germinate when the finished compost is applied to garden beds. Another frequent source is fruit or vegetable drop from the prior growing season, where seeds are left on the ground to overwinter and sprout the following spring.
Animals and birds also serve as effective dispersal agents, carrying seeds on their fur or consuming fleshy fruits and passing undigested seeds in their droppings. This is why plants like raspberries or sunflowers can suddenly appear far from the parent plant. Additionally, environmental factors like wind and water can carry lightweight seeds or those with specialized structures, such as the fluffy seeds of dandelions. The arrival mechanism determines the plant’s initial location, which is rarely ideal for cultivation.
Identifying and Managing Volunteer Plants
Identifying a volunteer plant in its seedling stage can be challenging, as many young plants look similar before developing their true leaves. Gardeners must learn to recognize the cotyledons and first true leaves of common vegetables, such as squash or tomato seedlings, to differentiate them from weeds. This early identification is important because the plant’s genetics may be a concern. If the parent plant was a modern hybrid variety, its volunteer offspring may not “come true to type.” This means the resulting fruit or flower may have unpredictable characteristics due to random gene expression.
Once identified, the grower must decide on a management strategy: keep it, transplant it, or remove it. If the volunteer is an open-pollinated or heirloom variety and is growing in a suitable, non-competitive spot, keeping it can be a source of free produce. Moving the plant to a better location is possible, especially when it is small, but care must be taken to minimize root disturbance. If the plant is a known hybrid or is growing where it will compete significantly with other crops, prompt removal, known as roguing, is the most practical choice.