Learning about Volunteer Plants & Weeds

This is a photo of one of the corners of my garden, taken over by a volunteer plant that I know I never planted in the garden.

I looked the plant up online and learned that the plant is called a Marigold Tree (Tithonia diversifolia). Instead of being a nuisance, the plant is apparently very beneficial for my garden in addition to adding some colour to it.

According to Wikipedia, the plant "has shown great potential in raising the soil fertility in soils depleted in nutrients." The text says research has shown the plant's potential in benefiting poor African farmers. "This plant is a weed that grows quickly and has become an option as an affordable alternative to expensive synthetic fertilizers. It has shown to increase plant yields and the soil nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium," it says.

Well, lucky me - it volunteered its services in my garden. I suspect someone in the village who works as a gardener brought it home, and the seeds were washed through my garden during the rainy season ( our property is on the downward slope of the village).

The other good news is that my onions sprouts are happily growing. The picture on the left is the picture of the same sprout whose picture I published on the 6th April ( 8 days ago). If all the onion sprouts to grow like this, then I might have a bumper onion crop come Spring.

Wish me luck!