Stellaria media, also known as Common Chickweed derives its name from being a favorite food for poultry and recognized a perennial broadleaf flowering plant in the family "Caryophyllaceae” or carnation family. Besides poultry, wild birds and mountain sheep also utilize its foliage. Chickweed is widely grown as a cooling herb and a vegetable. It maintains a history of growth both an evergreen and perennial plant in hot and humid zones whereas, an annual in cooler areas. Chickweed can be found growing in garden beds, low-fertility lawns, and landscape facilities that retain sufficient moisture under shady conditions.
Chickweed is adaptable to grow in a variety of field habitats and successfully adapts sea-level temperature and conditions to over 12000 feet. It can be found growing vigorously throughout North America. But, grows frigidly in the Southeast. Chickweed possesses bigger foliage and flowers in the Western US than in the East. It was introduced from Asia and Europe and now colonizes the entire United States. Chickweed now grows in turfgrasses, garden beds, orchards, and ornamental landscapes throughout the US where it brings a variety of insect pests, diseases, and viruses that harm garden plants. They will often grow in soils containing neutral pH with abundant nitrogen. Their prevalence decrease with a decrease in soil pH.
Chickweed is an erect plant that appears in dense patches in the turfgrasses. Usual height remains up to 2 inches while under shady conditions it could go between 4-6 inches. The leaves are bright green and smooth with clearly pointed tips. Small and white showy flowers with 5 petals which look 10. It possesses a fibrous and shallow root structure. Seeds are encapsulated at the end of a stalk that could count up to 800 per plant in one cropping cycle.
Seeds start germinating from early to late spring and again in Autumn. The best soil temperature for Seeds germination ranges between 53° to 70°F whereas the mean optimal temperature is 59°F. Chickweed seeds germinate at an even higher temperature if the soil is fertile with abundant moisture. Usually, rain or supplementary irrigation triggers the germination process. The seeds once produced and disbursed from the capsules, can grow immediately. The plant takes hardly 5-6 weeks to complete the whole lifecycle which, means germinating from the seed, grow vegetative, flower, and reproduce the seed for continuity.
Since Chickweed roots are weak and thin, hand pulling is practicable if the small patches occur within the turfgrasses. Chickweed can't survive hot and dry conditions and stops growth when the condition like that arrive in mid-summer. It's favorable to Mow the turfgrasses twice in early spring and once at the onset of winter. Generally, healthy lawns limit their seed set which, helps to reduce their heavier infestation in coming years. Be alarmed that Chickweed needs removal before it sets seed. Otherwise, its seeding habit could spoil your lawn beauty.
Typically formulated to control narrow and broadleaf weeds in turfgrasses before they germinate. It contains 0.48% Prodiamine that acts when Barricade particles disperse by rain or irrigation water. It prevents the growth of Chickweed without harming turfgrasses of any type. The best for applying Barricade is early spring and late fall when surface temperature observes below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The gardeners may apply Barricade up to 4 inches deep into the soil and manage watering soon after its application.
one 18-pound pack is enough for applying in 500-550 square meter area of turfgrasses.
Another pre-emergent herbicide that contains Pendimethalin at the rate of 37.4% weight by volume in 1.25 gallons of this product. It can be applied during the preparation of planting soil which, needs applying a thin layer of spray over the surface to prevent germination of grasses and broadleaf weeds that compete with turfgrasses for water, fertilizers, and other inputs resulting in a decreased vigor. Drexel works well when there is a fear of several predicted weeds to grow in a newly planted lawn, either narrow or broadleaf, and watering soon after planting turfgrasses or garden beds.
Drexel prevents the Chickweed to germinate, and infestation remains in check after 3-4 months of application. Add 1.8-2.0 ounces of Drexel in 2 gallons of water and apply using a herbicide nozzle on the sprayer discharge to cover between 90-100 square meters of the targeted area.
Weed Beater Complete is the combination of Prodiamine and Sulfentrazone. Prodiamine is a Pre-emergent herbicide whereas, Sulfentrazone is a Post-emergence herbicide. Together they work well for controlling a variety of narrow and broadleaf weeds including, Chickweed. The time of application is important to harvest the maximum and astonishing results. If the application is made well at the start of spring, Prodiamine does the trick, and later when the temperature rises Sulfentrazone is there to perform. The results may be slow but, a sure shot if applied within the mentioned timeframe. Again, the mode of action is two-way, through leaf and roots penetration. Moreover, the product is in Granular formulation which, can be easily distributed to the targeted areas.
one 10-pounds pack can protect 450-500 square meters of your lawn. Water your lawns immediately after applying Weed Beater Complete on your turfgrasses.
Blindside contains 6% of Metsulfuran Methyl and 60% of Sulfentrazone which are both post-emergent broadleaf weed controllers. This chemistry offers selective action and doesn't harm the turfgrasses that you grow on your lawns. It performs well for the majority of broadleaf weeds in summer and a few in winter.
WDG formulation is easily dissolvable in water and targets a broad range of weeds including Chickweed and seasonal unwanted sprouts. The biggest advantage that Blindside offers is weed suppression in the coming years.
Add 0.20 to 0.25 ounces of Blindside in 1 gallon of water and target broadleaf weeds which grow in your turfgrasses without fear of damage or stress.
Learn How to control and get rid of other weeds in our complete Yard Weeding Guide.
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