Question
I am very new to gardening and decided to plant a vegetable garden.
Some of the veggies I am starting are from seeds (spinach and leeks).
I've noticed lots of sprouts popping up all over the garden in no
particular pattern (I planted in rows). Most of them look like grass,
which did not grow there before. Are these weeds? Is it possible the
wind or watering could have moved the seeds to other places in the
garden where they could now be sprouting?

Answer
Erin, unless the seeds were scattered over the soil, they should not blow to other areas of the garden.  Even seeds that should only be planted shallow need to be pressed to the soil for good contact, otherwise you will not get good germination. A general rule of thumb is to plant seeds 3 times deeper than their diameter.  Most seeds should only be planted 1/8" - 1/4" deep.

What you described sounds like weeds.  They are very prevalent in the garden beds this time of year.  Normally they germinate from weed seeds that were blown from other areas of the yard this past fall.  That is why it is important to mark where you sow seed.  Most seedlings look alike until they form their second set of leaves, therefore making it near impossible to distinguish the desired seedlings from the weeds.

If you did mark the rows, go ahead and rake between the rows to hoe the weed seedlings before they mature.  You definitely need to remove them before they go to flower.

I would also recommend mulching between the rows with dried grass clippings or straw.  Mulch forms a barrier to prevent weed seeds from germinating.  It also helps retain moisture when the temperatures get hot, and it provides nutrients to the soil as the mulch decomposes.

I hope this helps.  Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike