Soil Management – Common chickweed

Control of Common chickweed

Seed predation by carabid beetles and birds can be appreciable during the summer. Initial seed dormancy is low and so many seeds will germinate when moisture is present. Emergence occurs throughout the year when soil temperatures are > 1.4°C.

Germination is higher in the light than in the dark – so leaving seeds on the soil surface will help seed decline (germination in light c.85%). Germination can be slow up to 3 weeks. Buried seeds germinate less readily but the effect of burial is variable.

Existing seeds in the soil seedbank will decline over time, without cultivations 34% per year and with cultivations 48% per year.