Common Chickweed
Biology
Common chickweed is a winter annual broadleaf weed. It forms dense, prostrate patches in turfgrass throughout North America. It can grow much taller when it’s not mowed. This winter annual germinates from seed in late summer or early fall. However, germination timings can vary throughout the year. Its prostrate growth habit and capabilities to withstand low mowing practices make common it a widely distributed turfgrass weed in all regions of the United States.
Identification
Cultural control
Biological control
None known for specific use in common chickweed. There are some organic postemergence herbicides available for turf weed control such as pelorgonic acid (Scythe), acetic acid (5% or greater solutions), and medium-length fatty acids (Eugenol); however, these products do not differentiate between the target weed and the desired turf (non-selective). As a result, these products are often used as spot treatments for weed control in parking lots, along fence rows, and in other bare-ground areas.
Other organic products that contain iron HEDTA (FeHEDTA), may be used to manage common chickweed; however, their ability to control common chickweed has not been effectively researched.
Chemical control
Control options include both pre- and postemergence management strategies. Preemergence herbicides such as Gallery 75 (isoxaben), Pendulum (pendimethalin), Barricade (prodiamine), and Dimension (dithiopyr) are available for use in home lawns; however, it is important that they are applied prior to common chickweed germination in autumn.
Postemergence control can be achieved with repeat applications of two or three-way mixtures of 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPP, or MCPA in cool-season turf. In warm-season grasses, Manor (metsulfuron), Katana (flazasulfuron), or Celsius (thiencarbazone + iodosuluforn + dicamba) can control common chickweed when applied in combination with a non-ionic surfactant (0.25% v/v).
Most of these herbicides require supplemental applications for adequate control especially in spring when common chickweed plants are larger.