How To Get Rid Of Henbit And Chickweed

Are henbit and chickweed weeds taking over your lawn and garden? Fortunately, there are effective methods on how to get rid of henbit and chickweed, which allow you to maintain a healthy and vibrant outdoor space.

These weeds can quickly spread and become a problem negatively impacting the overall appearance of your lawn if left unchecked. Keep Reading to find out how to tackle henbit and chickweed.

Understanding Henbit and Chickweed

Identifying Henbit

Henbit has purple, trumpet-shaped flowers and fuzzy, scalloped leaves. It’s part of the mint family and spreads quickly. While some may consider it a valuable food source for wild bees and even humans, it is generally unwanted in gardens.

Recognizing Chickweed

Chickweed has small white flowers and short, round stems. It’s okay for people and chickens to eat, but it can attract pests and insects that can cause damage to nearby plants and crops.

How To Get Rid Of Henbit And Chickweed

1. Manual Removal: Pulling Up Weeds by Hand

The easiest and best way to remove henbit and chickweed is to pull them out by hand. This works well for young weeds that don’t have deep roots yet. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Put on gardening gloves to protect your hands.
2. Firmly grip the plant at the base.
3. Gently twist the plant and pull upward, ensuring you remove the flowers, leaves, and root system.
4. For any remaining roots, use a shovel to dig around and remove them.

Read also: How to Get Rid of Weeds in Ornamental Gardens

2. Preventing Weed Growth: Seeding and Fertilizing

Stopping henbit and chickweed before they grow is important. If you create conditions that they don’t like, you can stop them from growing. Here are ways you can do that:

• Seeding Bald Patches

Henbit and chickweed like bare soil. To stop them from growing, plant grass seeds in any empty spots on your lawn. This will leave no space for the weeds. If grass doesn’t grow there, try planting pretty plants or flowers instead.

• Regular Fertilization

Keeping your lawn healthy and well-fed can also stop weeds. Give your yard fertilizer often to help the grass grow strong and thick. When the grass is thick, it’s hard for henbit and chickweed to grow.

3. Natural Herbicides: Vinegar Spray and Corn Gluten

If pulling weeds by hand and preventing them from growing doesn’t work, you can use natural weed killers to fight henbit and chickweed. These choices are good for the environment and work well against weeds.

• Vinegar Spray

Vinegar is a readily available household item that can serve as a natural herbicide. Here’s how you can use it to get rid of henbit and chickweed:

1. Put white distilled vinegar in a spray bottle.
2. spray enough on the weeds, and make sure you coat both the leaves and the base close to the roots.
3. Vinegar will kill the surface of the plant, preventing it from reseeding.
4. Be careful when using vinegar as vinegar is non-selective and may also damage surrounding grass. If the surrounding grass is affected, uproot the affected area and reseed it.

• Corn Gluten as a Pre-Emergent Treatment

Corn gluten is what’s left after corn is processed, and it can stop henbit and chickweed from growing before they start. It also has nitrogen, which helps your grass grow. Here’s how to use it:

1. Buy corn gluten from a store that sells gardening or lawn products.
2. Spread it evenly all over your yard.
3. Water it with about 1/4 inch of water.
4. Leave it in dry conditions for two days.
5. Do this every month to stop weeds from growing.

Read also: Crabgrass | Getting Rid of Crabgrass without Chemicals

4. Chemical Herbicides: Pre-Emergent and Post-Emergent Treatments

Chemical weed killers can work well against henbit and chickweed, especially if you have a lot of them. But you have to use them carefully to make sure you don’t harm your lawn or garden.

• Pre-Emergent Herbicides

You put pre-emergent weed killers on before weed seeds start growing. These are great for stopping henbit and chickweed from growing in your yard. Here’s one you might want to use:

1. Scotts Halts Crabgrass & Grassy Weed Preventer: Use Scotts Halts Crabgrass & Grassy Weed Preventer in late summer, a couple of months before henbit and chickweed usually grow. Read and follow the instructions on the package for the best results.

• Post-Emergent Herbicides

Post-emergent weed killers are made to kill weeds that are already growing. If you see henbit and chickweed in your yard, it’s best to use a selective herbicide. Selective herbicides target certain weeds and don’t hurt the grass around them. Here are a few choices:

• Weed Free Zone
• Speed Zone
• Weed-B-Gon
• Trimec

Put these weed killers on in early spring when the weeds are small and haven’t grown much. Follow the directions on the label to use them safely and make sure they work well.

5. Mulching and Landscape Fabric: Preventing Reseeding

Covering bald spots and garden beds can prevent henbit and chickweed from reseeding and taking over your landscape. Here are two effective methods:

Mulching

Putting mulch over bare spots in your yard, garden, or areas where you removed weeds can stop new seeds from growing. Mulch covers the ground, keeps it moist, and stops weeds from growing.

Landscape Fabric

If you can’t use mulch, you can use landscape fabric to kill weeds and stop them from growing back. Just put the fabric over the area you want and hold it down with stakes. Leave it there until the plants are dormant and not a problem anymore.

Read also: How to Get Rid of Termites in Mulch

More on How To Get Rid Of Henbit And Chickweed

This video explains How To Get Rid Of Henbit And Chickweed:

Conclusion

Henbit and chickweed can spread fast in your yard and garden if you don’t do anything. But if you pull them out by hand, stop them from growing, use natural or chemical weed killers, and do it all regularly, you can get rid of them.

Just follow the directions for each way and keep at it. If you do it right, you can have a garden without weeds that grow well.

About The Author

Will David

Hi, I am Will David aka Mr. Pest, research expert and author at Pestclue. With 5+ years of experience surfing pest, pest control and pet, I will assist and provide all solutions related to pests, pest control and pet care, my aim is to ensure your environment is pest-free and your pets are healthy.

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