Winter Weed Profile: Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Spring may be some time away, but lawns still face challenges from weeds. Here at American Lawnscape, we understand the importance of proactive weed control to maintain a lush, green lawn throughout the growing cycle.
In this blog series, we’ll discuss our approach to weed control (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weed_control) and how it sets your lawn up for success in the coming months.
From the Texas AggieTurf website, Chickweed is a “Winter annual with prostrate to trailing stems that can be pubescent, while leaves are glabrous, have opposite arrangement, and are oval to elliptic in shape. Flowers are white and occur in small clusters.”
This is a common annual weed in North Texas but has been used throughout history for a variety of purposes such as treating wounds, reducing inflammation, and relieving respiratory issues such as bronchitis and asthma. Being edible, it has also been used as a salad green and added to soups and stews. Chickweed is low in calories but high in nutritional value.
As a weed, Chickweed is equally impressive. As an annual, it drops thousands of seeds per plant that reside in the soil until conditions are right for it to germinate during the next growing season. During the growing season, this plant can also spread through its well developed root system by growing new shoots into extensions of the original plant.
As is with most weeds, prevention is the best strategy. Since this plant prefers it a bit warmer than other typical weeds (55-70F, air temperature) the February pre-emergent treatment is the primary deterrence. If it does get the opportunity to germinate, it’s best to start treating it early and continue until it’s been fully eradicated.
Don’t let cold weather weeds steal the spotlight!
Contact American Lawnscape today to learn more about our winter weed control program. Our experienced technicians will assess your lawn and recommend the most effective solution to keep those pesky winter weeds at bay.
Any Questions?
As always, please reach out with any questions pertaining to your yard. You can reply or call/text (214-308-1322). We appreciate getting to work with you and appreciate your partnership.
Throughout this Winter Weed Blog Series, we’ll drill down into weed prevention strategies as well as specific weeds that you will likely see during winter months.
Learn More Information
2024/25 Winter Weed Series (#5 of8)
2024/25 Winter Weed Series (#4 of8)
2024/25 Winter Weed Series (#3 of 8)
2024/25 Winter Weed Series (#2 of 8)
2024/25 Winter Weed Series (#1 of 8)
Why it’s Important For Turf Health To Aerate Your Lawn
Understanding Watering is Critical to Your Lawn’s Health
What are Pre-emergent Products?