Chickweed occasionally settles uninvited. In no time she weaves entire carpets on our property. A delicious salad is waiting in front of us to be picked and enjoyed. However, if it is undesirable where it thrives, it can be successfully combated.

Chickweed is tasty and healthy, but unfortunately it is very prolific

Where Chickweed is found

If you discover chickweed in your garden, it says a lot about the soil conditions. It likes nutrient-rich and moist soil. As a pointer plant, it points to a nitrogenous soil that can store water well. The pH is in the weakly acidic or weakly basic range. It tolerates sun and shade. From this description it is not surprising that we can meet Chickweed in the following places:

  • in the middle of the lawn
  • in vegetable beds
  • between flowers
  • on other fallow land

tips

Since the chickweed flowers almost continuously, its propagation potential is enormous. If the weed is undesirable in your garden, don't wait long to get rid of it.

Weeding - difficult but effective

Before the plants we cultivate come to life at the beginning of the year, many wild plants are already ready to grow. In this way, they quickly conquer any freely available area. That's why you should search the garden for weeds early in the year and weed them promptly.

  • Tear out the plant completely
  • also pull the shallow roots out of the ground
  • this is easier to do after a rainy day
  • Repeat weeding at regular intervals

tips

If you don't have much time to weed, you should at least take care of the plants that have already flowered. In this way you prevent them from creating countless new plants with their seeds.

Scarify and mow the lawn

Chickweed plants also appear among grasses. They must be prevented from blooming. The easiest way to do this is to mow the lawn regularly and very briefly. When scarifying, a large part of the plants can also be easily grasped by the flat roots and pulled out of the lawn.

Close gaps

Take away the habitat of chickweed by consistently closing gaps in the garden. Plant plants you like on it before the wild chickweed can conquer them.

  • Close gaps in the lawn by overseeding
  • Plant ground cover under bushes and perennials

Fertilize the affected area

Experts fight chickweed with a fertilizer that they don't like at all.

  • Apply potash fertilizers during the growing season
  • Work calcium cyanamide into the soil in autumn

Be cautious when using both substances. Otherwise, it can quickly happen that you change the soil composition to the detriment of your crops.

Suppress growth with mulch

You can slow down the spread of low-growing chickweed with a thin layer of mulch. Any known mulch material is suitable for this. For example leaves or straw. A translucent film also has this effect, but it does not allow rainwater to seep into the ground.

Category:

Care tips