Self seeded brassicas...

[Di Taylor]

I was all set to weed my veg garden yesterday but held off as alot of my 'weeds' appear to be self sown brassicas, I can pick the ones that look like they will be broc, cauli or cabbage but can anyone identify the attached, the primary leaves are definitely brassica looking but I can't work out the secondary leaves tempted to leave them in, but there are alot !

the leaves feel 'hairy' - not like anything I recall planting intentionally ...

[bcday]

Radish? Turnip? Rutabaga/Swede? Did you let any of those go to seed?

[Di Taylor]

No to the radishes, have never planted swedes, and the suggestion that they could be parsnips seems cruel and taunting and quite hilarious considering I am now onto my third attempt and method to even get parsnips to germinate....... I dream of parsnips which get far enough to go to seed.. thanks for the suggestions though gives me some idea what to look for should my silly parsnips ever decide to do anything. I was expecting something carrot like

[Wi-sunflower]

Definately something in the radish or mustard part of the cabbage family. Chinese cabbage (napa) could be one of the things but the chances are probably high that it could just be the wild mustard that seems to grow everywhere around here.

[bcday]

Originally Posted by Di Taylor

No to the radishes, have never planted swedes, and the suggestion that they could be parsnips...

Er, I think I said turnip, not parsnip, but maybe they aren't turnips either.

Wild mustard is a good possibility too. I've never planted the stuff but it pops up here and there anyway.

[Di Taylor]

Oops sorry, so you did say turnip, having never eaten (or so far grown!) either I tend to mix them up. Hhmm I am wondering if I have a wild mustard or something as I don't think it's any of the others. Would this produce something edible? I don't fancy it much as it's hairy.

[Ruth_10]

It does look like something in the mustard family. I hope it is not garlic mustard, which is terribly invasive in the U.S. I could probably tell you if it was if the plant were larger, but the small plants in the mustard family look awfully similar (to me, at least). If you haven't planted anything that should look like that (especially with the hairy leaves), then I'd eradicate it, just in case something like garlic mustard.

[bcday]

Garlic mustard cotyledons are long and skinny, not the shape shown in Di's pic. Here's a pic of a thick stand of Garlic mustard seedlings that I found online. They are just getting their first true leaves and you can still see the shape of the cotyledons on a lot of them:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environmen...seedlings.ashx

Are there any wild brassicas in New Zealand?

[Di Taylor]

I'm not aware of any wild brassicas and while I would certainly never claim to be anything close to an expert I do have a Certificate in Native Plants. I think I will leave the ones that I recognise and leave maybe just one of the hairy ones out of curiosity and purge the rest. Thanks for all your advice folks. :-)

[Medbury Gardens]

There`s no wild brassicas in our part of the world.

Its mustard Di,it pops up in my garden a lot, i leave it till it ready to flower then chuck to the cow.Do you buy in lupin, wheat seed etc, i do and i think that thats where the seeds are coming from for me.

[Di Taylor]

No lupin or wheat, but the dog had straw of some sort in her kennel this year and I bought in peastraw, that would explain it. Will save it and give it to my mates bunny, cheers thanks Richard. Do have some other looking self seeded brassicas that I am sure will be from broc that I have left go to seed, have grown a few different varieties, going to leave those and see, never had them self seed before.

[Ruth_10]

Originally Posted by bcday

Garlic mustard cotyledons are long and skinny, not the shape shown in Di's pic. Here's a pic of a thick stand of Garlic mustard seedlings that I found online. They are just getting their first true leaves and you can still see the shape of the cotyledons on a lot of them:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/~/media/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious_weeds/imagesD_G/garlic_mustard_seedlings.ashx

Are there any wild brassicas in New Zealand?

Thanks, Bc, for the correction. Garlic mustard was growing everywhere where we lived in Michigan and now I see it here and there in Missouri. For those who are not familiar with it, it will re-seed from flowers or will start up again from roots if you don't pull the entire thing. It crowds out native plants big time.