What is Chickweed?
The plant is a common annual weed of both cultivated and bare ground preferring a rich soil. It is often found in hedge bottoms or growing in newly seeded areas such as in a lawn. This weed is present from early spring right through until autumn when it will naturally die back with frosts. Seeing Chickweed is usually a good indicator your soil is fertile as this is where it prefers to grow.
Identification:
The plant has shallow fibrous roots that give rise to a vigorous site of prostate stems with single lines of hairs.
The leaves are borne in opposite pairs which fold in the evening to protect tender new growth. Their leaves have the distinctive point at the end.
The Problem:
Seeds are produced very quickly - as an individual plant they can produce over 1300 seeds and take 5 - 6 weeks for germination to seed dispersal. They can do this up to 4 or 5 times a year. It can also spread by creeping across the ground often under the height of the mower blades where it can swarm out grass.
Control:
Though it is time consuming, hand weeding or hoeing beds and borders can be the best way to control this weed. However there are a number of herbicides available for the control of this troublesome weed.
Chickweed in 'Bare Areas'
We recommend a treatment of Diamond which will control all other weeds and grasses.
Chickweed in Grassland
We recommend looking at Hurler which is safe to the grass. If you have this problem within a lawn we would advise looking at Enforcer. For control around Trees & Ornamentals consider looking at Flexidor.
For more information regarding Chickweed control, please get in touch with our sales team on 01522 246491.
