Odd seeds in packets question

[Chocolate8me]

I have noticed (bearing in mind this is my first year of growing my own) that when my seeds have germinated and grow into pretty seedlings that some don't look anything like the others despite having come from the same packet.
Is this common?

Below is a picture of my Tomato Shirley F1 plants, the one on the right is definately that variety but the one on the left looks nothing like the others and is growing a hell of a lot faster.

Does anyone recognise it & should I throw it away or leave it as a surprise?

[taff]

they should have the same type of leaves at least
sniff the one you don't think is a tomato to see if it actually is...that's if you know what tomatoes smell like...

[rustylady]

To be honest the one on the left doesn't even look like a tomato to me. Did you use fresh compost when you sowed your seeds?

[ladylottie]

I agree with RL - the one on the left isn't a tomato. And as Taff says, you can always tell a tomato by the smell!

[WendyC]

The left hand one looks like fat hen which may have looked tomato like when smaller. Following on from the original query yes I've had a few seedling surprises. Had a white beetroot from a packet of Bolthardy. Def beetroot but just the wrong colour.

[zazen999]

Fat hen. Get rid!

[Chocolate8me]

Taff I know what tomato plants smell of and it doesn't smell like that but I still watered it earlier. I'm kind of curious what it will turn into but I really do need the room for my other tomato plants to pot on.

RustyLady I used John Innes seed compost. It has happened with a couple of other plants especially my baby corn so I think it's the seeds more than the compost although it's not impossible is it?

WendyC and zazen999, I love the phrase 'fat hen', not heard that before & it's my new saying. I'm so immature I know <sigh>

Thanks for your replies )

[Potstubsdustbins]

Choccy I think you have missed the point. Fat Hen is a weed that will quickly take over your growing space. That one plant could produce upto 20,000 seeds this year.

As others have said 'get rid'.

Colin

[salome2001]

typical that the weed is romping away...

[zazen999]

Choccy I think you have missed the point. Fat Hen is a weed that will quickly take over your growing space. That one plant could produce upto 20,000 seeds this year.

As others have said 'get rid'.

Colin

Depending on the plant - anything from 10 to 164,000 seeds on one plant.

OP - you can waste your valuable compost growing it - and it is edible - but you will find oodles of these growing wild pretty much on any waste or newly cultivated plot. It happens to be the first weed I teach to my students - and the first one I tell them never to let it set seed. Once they know how many seeds it can drop in one very short season, and how much weeding they may come back to in September - they are usually running round shouting DIE FAT CHICKEN and pulling them up whenever they see them. And that's just the teachers.

[Chocolate8me]

Choccy I think you have missed the point. Fat Hen is a weed that will quickly take over your growing space. That one plant could produce upto 20,000 seeds this year.

As others have said 'get rid'.

Colin

Doh! I should've Googled it (other search engines are available).
I'm amazed at how many seeds a weed can produce, frightening.
I shall remove it tomorrow & plant another tomato seedling there.

Is it too early to use liquid tomato feed just to put some nutrients back into the compost that the 'fat hen' could've used?

[Potstubsdustbins]

It won't have done to much in this short time. As to feeding toms. I use MiracleGro (high nitrogen) this promotes green growth until fruit set and then change to tomorite (high potash) to feed the fruit.

Colin

[Chocolate8me]

Brilliant, thank you Colin.

I assume it will be the same for raspberries/strawberries?

I need to find out each plants individual needs are with regards to feeding. The home page on here has fantastic advice on growing your own but rarely mentions liquid feeds.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Choccy there are many ways of feeding for instance 2Sheds makes most if not all of her feed using natural products (if thats the right word). I am resticted for room and I am pretty sure my neighbours wouldn't be to happy with some of the smells produced so use bought liquid feeds. But as a general guide high nitrogen for green growth and high potash for the fruits. By fruits I mean most veggies including spuds will benefit from a potash feed at the right time.

Colin

[SarrissUK]

I think they're called fat hen because chickens absolutely love them? I brought home bags and bags of the stuff from the allotment last year for my chicks and they did indeed love them!