Common Chickweed in Strawberry Plantings
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Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a winter annual that germinates in autumn and produces small, white flowers in spring. Leaves are small (1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch long), pointed at tips, and arranged opposite along stems. Plants are easily separated from their shallow fibrous root systems. Other closely related chickweeds (Cerastium spp.) may occasionally be found in plantings.
Chickweed in bloom.
(Photo: John Strang, University of Kentucky)
Management:
- Apply a pre-emergent herbicide in autumn.
- Hand weed in spring when stems are fragile.
- Avoid cultivation after seed set to prevent spread.
