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All About Chickweed Attacks

Most weeds are usually easy targets due to the fast early spring that makes them grow in the garden. Chickweed is known to be one of the most common weeds that usually take over the fringes and lawn of the garden beds.

You can easily identify chickweed and controlling it is not a big problem especially in cultivated gardens. In addition, chickweed is nutritious, edible and can be used as a medicinal plant.
Though it is easy to identify, it may be difficult to describe chickweed.

 It grows at ground level in a mat of stems, leaves, flowers and tiny buds, which can be eaten.
The small leaves develop in pairs and are green in color.
  The stem of the plant is moist, almost hallow-like and delicate. There are small flower buds that are not opened and white flowers grown at the ends of the stems.

Because of the fast growth of chickweed, it can be a trouble in gardens and lawns if not maintained properly. It is important not to allow the chickweed to grow in your lawns and gardens too long to mature and produce a seed.

Chickweed is the same as other edible weed so make sure to identify it before eating and do not gather plants from places that may be exposed to herbicide treatments or pesticides.
 Though this weed is considered as a medicinal plant, remember that there are some people who may have sensitivities or allergies from touching or eating them.

Chickweed can be steamed or cooked in soups. It is a common ingredient in green salads. It is necessary to harvest these plants when they are green, full and lush including the tender buds, flowers and stems. It is usually recommended for skin irritations and weight loss.
Aside from using the leaves fresh, it can be dried and used for making herbal teas. Chickweed can be purchased in the form of tinctures and capsules and oftentimes used in formulations for ointments and poultices.

When you see a little chickweed that grows in your garden a weed killer can help in getting rid of it, but if any weed killer cannot handle the job, you can do these steps to control chickweed growth:

1. You need to pull as much chickweed as you can out of the ground using your hand. Though it may appear think and strong on the surface, it is very stringy and thin below, which makes it easy to pull.

2. The next thing you have to do is to let the ground breathe. Use a shovel or an ax in doing this or you can also rent an aerator to let ground absorb the water and fertilizer.

3. Spread fertilizer evenly and generously on the ground and make sure that the affected spots are covered.

4. It is necessary to water your garden every day for two to three weeks once you start to water.

Afterwards, you will be able to see the chickweed die and the grass will start to grow.
When this happens, you need to spread fertilizer on the garden again and continue watering every day for another two weeks.

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