Volunteer plants in your garden mean free plants in your garden, and free food. Learn how to identify, transplant and care for volunteer plants so you can make the most of what nature gives you. Here's how to grow more healthy vegetables from unexpected volunteer plants.
How to Grow Free Plants from Volunteer Seedlings
Have you ever discovered a surprise seedling popping up where you didn’t plant anything? Maybe it sprouted in your compost pile, next to the garden path, or even in the crack of your driveway.
These unexpected guests are called volunteer plants, and they might just be one of the best gardening gifts you'll get all season. Volunteer plants are exactly what they sound like: plants that grow all on their own, without any help from you.
They often sprout from seeds left behind by last year’s crops, or they hitch a ride from the wind, birds, or even animals.
And while some folks pull them out without thinking twice, I like to look at them as free plants and even free food.
What are volunteer plants?
Volunteer plants are seedlings that show up without being intentionally planted by a gardener.
They usually come from seeds dropped the year before, such as a tomato that fell off the vine and rotted on the ground, or a squash seed tossed into the compost pile.
Birds and animals can also spread seeds, or the wind might carry lightweight seeds across the yard.
These little surprises can sprout up just about anywhere. You might find them in your raised beds, along the garden fence, or in the middle of your flower beds.
With a little observation and care, some of these volunteers can turn into strong, productive plants.
Volunteer surprises in my own garden
Over the years, I’ve had my fair share of surprise plants.
Potatoes in the compost pile - Every so often, an old potato sprouts in the compost pile.
Tomatoes from last year’s crop - Tomato seeds seem to survive everything. They pop up in the same beds as last year's crop, in the compost, and even in the chicken yard (until the chickens find them).
Melons from buried rinds - Sometimes I bury melon rinds in the garden to help add organic matter, and every so often, a vine will sprout up from a seed I missed and give me a sweet surprise. The question is, will it be a watermelon or a cantaloupe?
Sunflowers from seeds dropped by birds.
Cucumbers that got away from me - Cucumbers grow so fast that they can be hard to spot in all that foliage. It's easy for me to miss one or two until it's too late.
And one year, after a tornado tore through our neighborhood, my carefully-labeled tomato seedlings - started from seeds and "up-potted" into tall disposable drink cups - were blown all over the yard. We found them under piles of debris and in random corners.
I planted them anyway, and weeks later, I found another tomato plant growing in the fenceline, and still another growing under our utility trailer.
Both had escaped the lawnmower because of their unique positions. I decided they deserved to keep growing, so I transplanted them to the garden where they'd be safe from the mower in the future. Those volunteer tomato plants were some of the hardiest plants I’ve ever grown!
How to figure out what a volunteer plant really is
You might be wondering how to figure out what kind of a plant that seedling really is. Is it a tomato plant, an unwanted weed, or something else?
Once you’re familiar with the plants in your garden, it will be easier to tell what a certain plant is. The easiest way is by leaf shape.
Leaf shape
When seedlings first begin to grow, they have a set of leaves called cotyledons.
These leaves don’t look at all like the adult plant’s leaves. They are embryonic leaves that help kickstart the plant’s growth through photosynthesis. Once the plant develops enough to grow the first set of what are called “true leaves,” the cotyledons are no longer needed and they’ll soon shrivel up, turn brown and fall off.
So don’t try to identify the plant by these first leaves. Wait for the first and second set of “true leaves” that will help you figure out what this plant will really be.
If you’re familiar with the shape of tomato leaves, for instance, at this point you might be able to identify a plant as a tomato plant. Knowing what variety it is though, will probably have to wait until the plant produces a ripe tomato.
History
Second, remember what you planted in this area last summer. If you planted melons here, or cucumbers, or a flower such as nasturtiums, that will help you narrow down the kind of volunteer plant.
Use a plant identification app
Another way to help identify a volunteer plant is to use Google Lens, or Apple’s Visual Intelligence feature. Take a photo of the plant and let AI help figure out what it is.
Note that apps aren't always correct, and sometimes they're way off base, but if you have an idea of what the plant might be and the app confirms it, that's helpful. Again, the plant needs to have true leaves in order for this to be anywhere near accurate.
Wait and see
Time will tell, and if you can wait, you'll eventually figure out what that plant really is.
While melon leaves and cucumber leaves look quite similar, you’ll eventually be able to tell by the plant’s growth habits. You’ll soon know that the plant needs support like a trellis by the plant’s vining growth - both melons and cucumbers (unless it’s a bush cucumber) need a trellis or support of some sort, but the leaves can sometimes be hard to tell apart.
But once it begins to set fruit, you’ll know!
Should you keep volunteer plants?
Not every volunteer seedling is a keeper. Let's face it, even weeds are "volunteer plants"! If something doesn't fit your vision for your garden, you can pull it up and add it to the compost pile.
Some might grow where they’ll crowd out the crops you intend to grow in that spot. Others could carry over diseases from the year before, especially if they’re from the nightshade family (like tomatoes, potatoes, or peppers). Still others might not be good companions for the plants already growing there.
Still others might be welcome surprises!
Consider these options when you find a volunteer plant:
- Transplant it if it’s healthy and it's still small enough to move.
- Let it grow where it is, especially if it’s not in the way.
- Pull it if it’s in the wrong place, or if it looks weak or diseased.
Trust your instincts and keep in mind your garden layout, your crop rotation plan, and whether you’ve had any disease issues in that spot before. Tomatoes, peppers and potatoes can carry blight and other diseases, so if you had tomato blight last year and the volunteer is in that same location, you should probably pull it out.
How to transplant volunteer seedlings
Want to give a volunteer plant a better home? If it’s still young, it can often be moved successfully. Transplanting volunteer seedlings is just like transplanting any vegetable seedlings. Here's how, with a quick step-by-step guide.
 |
| Tomato seedlings with seed leaves (the long pointed leaves) and true leaves that resemble mature tomato leaves. |
Quick step-by-step for transplanting volunteer plants
- Wait until the seedling has at least two sets of true leaves. (Even when you start seeds indoors, this is when you usually "up-plant" them into bigger pots.)
- Water the plant and the soil around it before digging it up, so it will hold together better. It's important to treat the roots gently, especially squash plants.
- Use a small trowel to gently lift it from below, keeping as much of the root system intact as possible.
- Replant it in its new home at the same depth it was growing - unless it's a leggy tomato plant. Tomatoes readily tolerate being planted deeper, and it will result in a stronger root system and stronger main stem too.
- Water it again thoroughly, and if the weather is hot and sunny, provide a bit of shade for the first day or two.
- Keep an eye on the transplant for a few days. A little wilting is normal, but most volunteers perk up quickly and settle right into their new spot.
Are volunteer plants true to type?
One common question is whether a volunteer plant will be just like its parent, or will it be different? Will volunteer tomato plants produce fruit? And what kind of melon is that plant going to produce?
As long as the conditions are favorable - such as sun exposure, water, and insects for pollination, if needed - volunteer plants will probably produce fruit. However, the fruit may or may not be the same as its parent plant.
Basically, it depends on whether or not you planted heirloom or hybrid seeds or plants last year.
Heirloom plants are open-pollinated, so their seeds grow true to type. If you’re growing heirloom tomatoes or melons, your volunteer seedlings are likely to be very similar to the original plant.
Hybrid plants are crosses between different varieties, so their seeds might grow into something entirely different than what you planted last year.
For instance, I once had a tomato volunteer that grew red, cherry-tomato-sized fruit that was pear-shaped. The thing is, I’ve never planted red pear tomatoes, just yellow pear tomatoes. This one was most-likely a throwback to one of the parent or grandparent plants.
They were really delicious though. Sometimes, the surprises are the best part!
However, if you want to save seeds, you should plant heirloom plants or seeds rather than hybrids, so you know what you'll get next year.
 |
| This cantaloupe burst after heavy rain caused it to swell and split. Ants carried away the flesh and seeds, and the following spring there were several volunteer cantaloupe vines. |
Common volunteer plants you might discover
These are some of the most common (and welcome) volunteer plants I’ve seen in my garden:
- Tomatoes - Probably the most common volunteer of all! They've grown in my compost pile, in the raised beds, in the lawn, and - after the tornado - anywhere the wind dropped them.
- Radishes - Let a few radish plants bolt and go to seed, and they’ll reseed themselves. I usually let a couple of radishes go to seed on purpose, because the flowers help to deter pests, and the seeds themselves are easy to sprout in the kitchen for salad toppings. Sometimes the seeds get away from me.
- Herbs - Dill, cilantro, and basil are great at self-seeding. Lemon balm is the king escapee!
- Sunflowers - Birds often knock a few seeds to the ground, and you get sunny blooms the next year. You might even have sunflowers grow under your birdfeeder. Honestly, birds are rather messy.
- Marigolds, borage and zinnias - These pretty flowers are great pollinator companions, pest deterrents, and reseed themselves easily.
Tips for identifying volunteer seedlings
Not sure what that mystery sprout is? Here are a few tips to help identify them:
- Look at the cotyledons (seed leaves). They can help you identify the plant family, such as melons, mints or tomatoes.
- Watch how the true leaves develop. They’ll start to look like the mature plant. If you're familiar with the adult plant and its leaves, you may be able to identify a plant with this trick.
- Use garden notes or maps from last year to jog your memory. Chances are, the plant grew from something you planted nearby.
- With experience, you'll get better at recognizing the common volunteers in your own garden. And if you’re still not sure? Let it grow for a while and see what it turns into.
Can you save seeds from volunteer plants?
Yes, you can, but keep these things in mind:
Seeds from heirloom plants will grow true, but seeds from hybrid plants might grow into something unexpected. This is true whether you're growing melons, cucumbers, tomatoes or any other vegetable.
If you grow multiple varieties of the same crop like squash or tomatoes, cross-pollination can result in something new.
Still, sometimes those surprises are where the fun happens!
Final thoughts on volunteer plants
Volunteer plants are one of gardening’s best-kept little surprises.
They show up uninvited, but often end up thriving and feeding your family. Whether you let them stay where they are or move them to a better spot, they’re a reminder that nature is always working in the background.
So next time you see a seedling pop up in an unexpected place, take a closer look. It just might be the best plant of your whole gardening season.
RELATED POSTS:
How to double your tomato plants with cuttings
Beginner's guide to starting seeds indoors
Start composting in your backyard
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Subscribe
