Seedling or Weed?

So you planted some seeds in your garden according to the planting plan and a few days later there is a tiny green something growing in that area. Is it the radish? Or wait, is it a bit of clover or grass — a dreaded weed? If it’s a weed, you’d want to pull it out now when it’s small, but you definitely don’t want to pull up your precious little veggie seedling. What do you do?!

Many gardeners have faced this dilemma. Just a few days ago, I thoughtlessly pulled a “weed” out of the garden only to remember I’d planted dill seeds there. Doh!

Here are some options for dealing with this situation. As you continue growing your garden and plant knowledge, it will get easier and easier to tell what’s what, even when the plants are tiny.

Option 1: Do nothing. In a couple of days more little plants will pop up in the even spacing where you planted them. Then you’ll be able to tell if the first one matches the rest or not. If it doesn’t match, it’s a weed and it will still be small enough to pull it out at this time.

Option 2: Compare your seedling to the photos below and see if you can identify it. Botanical Interests seed packets will also provide an illustration of what the seedling should look like. If it looks nothing like the photo, it’s probably a weed and should be pulled. If you’re unsure, see Option 1.

Fun fact: the very first “leaves” a seedling produces are called “cotyledons.” They are actually present inside the tiny seed before it germinates and they contain its stored food. They will look a little different from the plant’s second set of leaves which are often called “true leaves.” See if you can notice the difference in some of the photos below.

ARUGULA

Leaves are very slightly lobed.

BEETS

Will have stems that match the color of the future yummy roots.

CARROTS

Skinny, grass-like seedlings. Notice the second set is coming in much frillier.

DILL

Looks very similar to carrots. They are in the same family.

LEEKS

Emerge like folded blades of grass.

PARSNIPS

Be patient. These can take two weeks or more to emerge.

PEAS

Larger than the others. Heart-shaped leaves. The peas in this photo are a couple of weeks old.

RADISHES

Medium-sized, heart-shaped leaves. May have red or pink stems.

OPTION 3: Try a smartphone app that helps you identify plants like iNaturalist and Picture This. Because the cotyledons are so different from the true leaves, the apps may not be as accurate at the seedling stage. Again, you can always wait a few more days until true leaves develop and try to use an identifier app again.

OPTION 4: Crowdsource an answer. Post a photo to your friends on social media and sed they can help you identify the plant. You could do a poll on Instagram stories: “weed or radish seedling?”

Whatever you choose, just take your time and be cautious. In an ideal world, we’d pull weeds as soon as we see them, but in reality, it’s ok to let them go a few days until you are sure they are weeds. And better safe than sorry if there’s a chance you’ll pull up your veggies.

Go see how you can grow!