[swaine]

Each year I get more and more chickweed on my raised beds. I try to weed the beds to get rid of it, but I haven't weeded the beds for two or three weeks and its reappeared all over the place. Two of the beds now have a lush green covering with the chickweed that has reappeared.

Is this a common problem or is it just my plot?

Has anyone got any tips how to control and get rid of chickweed? I'd welcome any advice.

[massa]

i have the same problem i prepared a new bed ready to plant in and im sure it just sneaks in fully grown as your back is turned! i dont know any way to get rid of it other than hoeing or pulling it up!

[JayG]

Eh oop, an all-Sheffield discussion (so far!) 

Chickweed is a swine to pull out as it usually breaks off at the stem, but worse still despite having tiny, innocent little flowers it seeds like the clappers in no time at all if you let it.

Whether hoeing or weeding it out just get to it before it seeds or you'll be doing it for ever! My chickweed plantation has diminished over the last few years but I must repeat that this plant is a really serious breeder! 

[Zippy]

Eat it - it's a great salad plant and you get it for free.

Or weed it by hand and be thankful that you have a great compost plant that just keeps coming back.

Smother it with compost when your bed is finished and it will rot down where it sits and the worms will drag it down - if you don't go around killing your worms by digging that is.  Digging will bring more weed seeds up and chop up your good sized earthworms to make two halves of a dead earthworm - two reasons not to dig.

[GrannieAnnie]

Give it to the chickens, if you don't have any, borrow some!  They love it! 

[8doubles]

Chickweed is good at keeping the soil moist in dry weather and  provided it does not swamp the crop i leave it. It can also be dug in as green manure. To control it a bit i just let the hens out when i am weeding a patch.
They will happily eat chickweed and its seed all day.

[Thrift]

I had very little chickweed until I emptied my compost bin ! I had been happily composting all weeds except perrenials thinking that was ok. 

Anyway the patch where I spread the compost is alive with the stuff. Great idea to give it to the hens though. 

[Salmo]

Chickweed follows the old saying "One years seeding gives 7 years weeding".

This weed is a master at re-rooting itself if the weather is damp after hoeing. Once you have a problem the only way is to turn the top layer of soil well under and then keep on weeding to stop more seeding. Eventually you will win.