Is this a Bean?

There are several of these seedlings popping up in my garden. I thought they might be beans - or squash, now that I think of it. What are they? There were no weeds to speak of in that spot but I did use a lot of compost when the dirt was tilled.

Any chance of mesquite pods in that compost, TF?

I have had a number of squash seeds (pumpkin, mostly) survive the composting process and volunteer, but their cotyledons tend to be broader and grayer than what I see there. Could be another squash, though, I suppose as well.

Will be interesting to see what the true leaves look like!

Any cucumbers near? My squash seedlings were similar, but rounder.

David

It looks like a cucumber to me.

So this is a wait-and-see game? I've thought and thought about what they could be but I simply can't come up with an answer. No mesquite nearby, only palo verde. I'm going to let them grow a bit.

looks like the sunflower seeds that germinated in mine, but also looks like squah, cukes, pumpkin.

I solved the puzzle; those little seedlings are the obnoxious fruit of a nearby palo verde that come up as mutant little thorny bushes. I'd never have guessed from the looks of it in the pic, but when the second leaves showed up, it was clear what they were. Spent about 20 minutes this morning trying to pull 'em all up.

They start off so small and innocent-looking... then grow into unruly monsters with a taproot that reaches half-way to China!

Hope you got them all! :)

I can empathize. I constantly pull up oak trees, pecan trees, cherry laurels, and hackberry trees. Think weeds would be easier.

Christi

Thats a squash Paul

Oh My Gosh!` People pulling out Pecan trees, I would kill for one of those, when I have to pay $7.99 a lb for pecans in the store I cringe!

Realize that these are pecans and oaks that start from the very beginning. I have allowed two pecan and one oak to try to grow to maturity. The are about 14 years old now and still are not full grown trees. I doubt I will live to see the pecans produce. Wish there were a market for the seedlings, I would be rich.

Christi

No wonder they are so expensive. lol

They make very rich but small nuts and I wish I had left a few when I first moved here.They supposedly take a long time to start bearing compared to the grafted commercial varieties.

In my great wisdom (dripping sarcasm) I have pulled many of them and bought 2 varieties that are supposedly large and soft shelled. They're at least 10 years old and I haven't had a pecan yet. My neighbors all have ancient trees in abundance. I really hope I get some this year because they're expensive here too.

Jill, you bet I'll be watching for those things to emerge. Once you give one a head start, it's next to impossible to ever kill it. Much like the absurdly mis-named "tree of heaven". My silly neighbor is letting them grow right up next to her house and anywhere else they pop up - and, of course - they pop up in my veggie bed next to the fence between us. Ugh.