Volunteer Plants in Gardens: The Beauty of Unexpected Growth

It's a familiar sight for gardeners: you've carefully planted your seeds or transplants in neat rows or clusters, only to find that a few weeks later, some unexpected plants have begun to sprout up. These "volunteer" plants, as they're often called, can be a welcome surprise or an unwelcome nuisance. But no matter how you feel about them, there's no denying that volunteer plants add an element of unpredictability and spontaneity to any garden.

The Pros and Cons of Volunteer Plants

Before we delve into the joys of volunteer plants, let's first take a look at their potential drawbacks. For one thing, these plants can be difficult to identify if you didn't intentionally plant them. This means that you may accidentally weed out something you actually wanted to keep, or allow a weed to continue growing because you mistook it for a desirable plant.

In addition, volunteer plants can sometimes become invasive and take over your garden. They may compete with other plants for nutrients and water, or spread disease. And if you're trying to maintain a specific aesthetic in your garden, the unexpected appearance of certain plants may not fit with your vision.

However, despite these potential downsides, many gardeners appreciate the benefits that volunteer plants can bring. For one thing, they're free! You don't have to spend any money on seeds or transplants, because these plants have already made themselves at home in your garden. And since they've grown there without any help from you, they may be better adapted to your local growing conditions than the plants you intentionally put in.

In addition, volunteer plants can attract beneficial insects and wildlife to your garden. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators may be drawn to the flowers of these plants, helping to ensure a bountiful harvest for your intentional crops. And if you're trying to create a wildlife-friendly garden, the varied foliage and habitats provided by volunteer plants can be a big plus.

Common Types of Volunteer Plants

So what kinds of plants are most likely to appear as volunteers in your garden? Here are a few examples:

A sunflower blooming in a garden

Sunflowers: These cheerful flowers are a common sight in gardens, and it's easy to see why. Their bright yellow petals and distinctive center disks are a favorite of pollinators, and they can grow quite tall - up to 8 feet in some cases. Sunflowers are known for self-seeding, so don't be surprised if you find a few popping up in unexpected places.

A cluster of tulips growing in a garden

Tulips: These colorful bulbs are a classic springtime flower. If you've planted tulips before, you may find that they come back year after year - but you may also find that new bulbs have appeared in nearby areas where you didn't plant them. This is thanks to the fact that tulips can reproduce by seed as well as by bulb division.

A ripe tomato growing on a volunteer tomato plant

Tomatoes: If you've ever grown tomatoes, you know that these plants can be finicky. But if you do manage to get a healthy crop, you may find that a few rogue plants pop up the following year. Tomato seeds can survive in compost, so if you added compost to your garden beds, you may have unintentionally created the perfect environment for volunteer tomatoes to thrive.

How to Encourage or Discourage Volunteer Plants

If you're someone who likes the idea of volunteer plants but wants to exercise some control over which ones show up in your garden, there are a few things you can do. On the other hand, if you're someone who wants to avoid volunteers altogether, there are steps you can take as well.

To encourage volunteer plants:

• Allow some of your plants to go to seed at the end of the season. This increases the chances that those seeds will germinate and grow the following year.
• Use compost from your own garden (rather than store-bought compost) to amend your soil. This will increase the likelihood that volunteer plants will thrive, since they'll be more adapted to your specific growing conditions.
• Be patient! Sometimes it takes a year or two for volunteer plants to start showing up.

To discourage volunteer plants:

• Pull out any plants that you don't recognize or can't identify. If you're not sure whether a plant is a volunteer or a weed, do some research before making a decision.
• Remove any fruit that falls from your intentional crops before it has a chance to rot. This will reduce the likelihood that seeds will end up in your compost pile and germinate.
• Be vigilant about weeding. The more you stay on top of weeding, the less opportunity there will be for volunteer plants to take root.

Final Thoughts

Whether you love them or hate them, volunteer plants are a fact of life for many gardeners. While they can certainly be unpredictable, there's something charming about the idea of plants deciding to make a home in your garden without any help from you. And who knows - maybe the volunteer plants will end up being some of your favorites!

Suggested : gardening, unexpected growth, self-seeding, compost, pollinators