If chickweed is a persistent weed in your lawn, you may want to control the lawn weed from spreading. While the presence of chickweed isn’t detrimental to your yard, many people choose to take measures to control or kill the weed. Continue reading to learn more about chickweed and how to control it.
What Is Chickweed?
Common chickweed, also called starwort or satin flower, is a cool season annual plant that is often found on lawns all over North America. Chickweed has small leaves and white flowers and grows low to the ground. Although it is an annual plant, it grows all season long but is best controlled in the spring and fall. Chickweed also spreads quickly from new roots, making it a very prolific weed that may be a nuisance on your lawn.
Controlling Chickweed
Chickweed can be controlled safely and with natural solutions. If the weed is isolated, a natural weed killer such as natural herbicides will do the trick. However, non-selective natural herbicides mean they will kill any grass they come in contact with, so you must use caution to keep your grass surrounding the chickweed healthy. Another way to control chickweed is to pull it out manually, preferably before it flowers. Start by raking matted weeds in the spring, and mow your lawn to keep the grass short. Since chickweed is a shallow rooted plant, this will help you be able to pull it out without much effort.
As for a long-term control solution, simply have a solid lawn care program to maintain a thick and healthy lawn. Chickweed loves wet soil, so it’s best to keep the soil somewhat dry with deep, infrequent watering.
Killing Chickweed
If you prefer to kill chickweed completely, you have a few options. It is possible to kill the weed with typical products containing a lot of chemicals, but these are best used sparingly rather than on your entire lawn. There are regulations on “weed-n-feed” products with chemicals, so be sure to check the law in your area.
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