Unexpected self seeding

Mostly tomatoes and chilis, June 2019

Everything's planted, at last!  Well, technically I have some seed trays sown with winter brassicas but not sprouting yet, to be planted out later.  But everything else is done!  It was a big push to get it all out there, both at home in the kitchen garden and at the allotment.  To be honest, I didn't do a lot of direct seeding this year, but mostly focused on raising transplants from seed.  That said, I have had quite a few self seeded plants come up in unexpected places:  a pleasant surprise.

One of them is achocha.  I mean, I knew I missed some of the fruits last year, but I never expected them to self seed.  We'd already put down some transplants at the allotment, and now I'm pulling up most of the new seedlings popping up here, as I already know how much they grow:  enough to smother everything else.  Which will be a good thing at the allotment, but I've already reserved that space here for other things, which happen to need a bit of sunlight.

I'm also drastically thinning out the Aztec broccoli seedlings (not a true broccoli, but related to the weed Fat Hen);  like the achocha I want about five plants only;  it's also a big plant, though not as vigorous as the achocha.  I knew in advance it would self seed readily, so I allowed last year's plants to remain standing, saving me the work of sowing.  It's coming up all over.

I cleared away some massive mizuna plants gone to seed, before the seed pods had matured;  I needed the space for my tomatoes and celery.  I put the whole plants in strategic positions in the perennials section, to hopefully spread the love.  I expect some of the seed will ripen enough on the uprooted plants to germinate later on.  Mizuna is under-utilized here, but I do like the flavor and its reliability.  It's all over the veg beds anyway, in various states of growth/maturity.

And of course speaking of reliable, the chard is both coming up everywhere, and going to flower everywhere.  I'm pulling up the ones that are in the way, and letting a few stay, to make fresh seed.  I'm dehydrating the leaves from all those old ones, keeping the dehydrator going every day.  And then the chickens get the leftover stems with the smallest leaves, which they love.  The ducks like chard too, but weren't impressed with what I offered:  "We only like chard that we pick ourselves."