New garden, mystery self seeder

[RbpParticipant]

Charles and team,
I am starting my first spring in a new garden in Italy and the beds I created last autumn are full of these seedlings (see photo). It has been a very wet winter and soil is not in great condition. The seedlings are low growing and starting to branch out. I have identified other weeds but can’t seem to name this – can you advise what it might be so I can decide how to treat it?
Thank you.

[CleansweepParticipant]

Not that good at guessing games but I would expect that to be Borago Offinalis (Borage)
See:
https://www.google.com/search?q=borage+seedling&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=BBRRxpLRVwWRBM%253A%252C1MoOU5tDkfTRLM%252C_&usg=__wanAL9QK7glhSaQJolxmdhRE5uA%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiCtNO5tuzZAhUkD8AKHXG8A1YQ9QEIUjAD#imgrc=BBRRxpLRVwWRBM:
Useful as a herb, as a pollinator attractor and I’m told , good to add to a G&T !! If you need to transplant them, use a trowel and scoop up as a root ball when not much bigger than now.

[RbpParticipant]

Thanks for your reply. If this were borage that would be great (I even just ordered borage seeds!) but I don’t see any wrinkles in the leaves. I think my photo may have been misleading. Here is another of a plant in place (you can also see my poor soil 🙂 just waiting for compost overlay, as soon as I work out what to do with these seedlings). Hairy leaves, red stems, the ruler is in centimeters.
Thank you.

[CleansweepParticipant]

Unconditionally withdraw my suggestion in the light of new photograph!!
Do not believe that I’ve ever placed my hoe to this, so am confident its not a common ‘nasty’.
Will be pleased to learn when identified, is it in the UK. Thats certainly a rocky mixture you have- does it get better with depth?

[HawfinchParticipant]

Hi Rbp, it’s definitely not borage, as Cleansweep writes. I’ve sent your photo to a plant expert I know, if she comes back with an identification, I’ll let you know what she says.

[beverleyParticipant]

Hi Rbp

Is it forget-me-not? You can check against this helpful site http://theseedsite.co.uk/weeds4.html

Best wishes
Beverley

[charlesModerator]

It looks maddeningly familiar, but finding a name is another matter! I picked some forget-me-not to compare. It’s similar, but not forget-me-not!

[RbpParticipant]

Thank you all for your responses. Thanks to theseedsite.co.uk weed identifier and a bit more googling I think we have an answer! Clustered Mouse Ear (Cerastium glomeratum). Looks like it’s got to go…
Happy gardening.

[CleansweepParticipant]

Ah so its been determined, fantastic, perhaps I shall sleep better tonight!
If as described, its an annual so off with its head . No flowering, no seeding, no digging, its a past weed.Another one bites the dust.

[HawfinchParticipant]

Rbp – it taken a while but the plant experts have responded. They did find that without any flowers it is rather difficult to identify the plant, but one of them also thinks it’s a Cerastium – good luck with dealing with them.

[RbpParticipant]

Thanks Hawfinch, I appreciate your efforts. Cerastium makes sense. I have “dealt” with them already, I don’t want to wait for flowers!

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