(B)eat your weeds: Chickweed
 (Read 100+ times)
By Emma Cooper
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Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) is one of the most common weeds of cultivated ground. The plant matures very quickly and there can be several generations in one year. And although it’s an annual, it’s possible that late growing plants can survive the winter. Seeds remain dormant in the soil for many years, ready to emerge as a fresh crop of weeds as soon as the soil is dug over.
Chickweed is a straggly and low-growing plant, with white flowers. Its lush green growth has a pleasant flavor and can be used in salads and soups. It has the advantage of being available for most of the year, and so can be a useful green vegetable when others are scarce. These vitamin-rich leaves are not only good for us, but can also be used as a health food for caged birds and poultry.
Chickweed also has value for other creatures. Garden birds may appreciate chickweed, and beneficial insects will be grateful for the flowers. Several species of ground beetle will happily eat the seeds, and its ability to easily self-seed can make this an ideal plant for a wildlife patch.
However, elsewhere in the garden this plant can become a nuisance, smothering crops and harboring pests and disease. If you have more than you and the local wildlife can cope with, then don’t despair. Because chickweed is an annual plant, only the top growth needs to be removed – you won’t have to dig to get those pesky roots out.
The easiest way to remove chickweed is to use a hoe in dry weather to cut off the top growth – it will soon wilt. Hand-weeding is also easy for small patches, but if the plants are flowering or seeding then you should remove them to prevent the next generation. Don’t add them to the compost heap, either, or you’ll be giving them the green light to bug you next year.
In a regularly cultivated garden bed, where any weeds are removed, the number of chickweed seeds in the soil will reduce every year, and in no time at all you will no longer have a problem. Alternatively you can bury the surface of the soil (and the chickweed) under a light excluding mulch.
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Author Bio Box: Emma Cooper
Emma Cooper is the author of Growing Vegetables is Fun. She also has a weekly gardening podcast, The Alternative Kitchen Garden, all about growing your own food in an environmentally friendly way. Check out her website for her gardening blog and more articles.
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