Chickweed ∗ The 10 best planting and care tips

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Arenaria montana
• Family: Carnation family (Caryophyllaceae)
• Synonyms: mountainChickweed, Mountain Sandflower
• Growth type: perennial
• Growth: creeping, cushion-forming
• Growth height: 5 cm to 10 cm
• Leaves: evergreen, lanceolate
• Flowers: white cup-shaped flowers
• Flowering period: May to July
• Toxicity: non-toxic
• Hardiness: hardy
• Use: rock garden, green roof, bee pasture

growth

Chickweed thrives as a dainty, evergreen or evergreen cushion perennial with a profuse flowering season. Among more than 300 species of chickweed, the robust mountain chickweed has primarily emerged as a beginner-friendly hit for creative garden design. The following key data characterize the growth of Arenaria montana:

• Growth height: 5 cm to 10 cm, rarely up to 20 cm
• Growth width: 20 cm to 25 cm, rarely up to 30 cm
• Growth: prostrate, creeping, forms cushions, densely branched

The growth facts worth knowing include a solid winter hardiness of up to - 28° Celsius and a good tolerance of longer dry periods. The perennial has acquired these characteristics in its native regions, which stretch across the rugged mountains and barren areas of south-western Europe from the Pyrenees to Morocco.

blossoms

Chickweed spreads its radiant white carpet of flowers like a fluffy bridal veil. The picturesque flower fairy tale is formed from numerous individual flowers with the following characteristics:

• Double perianth: 5 ovate sepals (5-9 mm), 5 oblong petals (5-14 mm)
• Diameter: 1.5cm to 2.5cm
• Flower color: white with a yellow center
• Flower ecology: hermaphrodite
• Flowering period: May to July/August

Chickweed has a good portion of nectar at the base of each flower as a reward for busy pollinators such as wild bees, honey bees, bumblebees and butterflies.

Admire mountain chickweed in full bloom

leaves

Before and after the lush flowering period, chickweed reveals its dainty leaves. These are the most important identifying features:

• Leaf shape: elongate-lanceolate, entire
• Special feature: slightly curled leaf edge
• Leaf color: dark green
• Texture: coarse to leathery, sometimes slightly hairy
• Arrangement: opposite

The evergreen mountain sandflower thrives in mild climates. Gradual retraction of the evergreen leaves and sprout of the fresh leaves takes place in spring almost unnoticed by the viewer.

toxicity

Sand herbs are not poisonous. Hobby gardeners with family gardens and pets appreciate this fact. Picking the pretty flowers, sniffing the white flower cushions or trying to nibble on the evergreen leaves leaves the child, dog, cat or hamster unnoticed.

use

Numerous advantages make mountain chickweed an indispensable component for every planting plan. The wide range of imaginative uses extends from decorative gap fillers to picturesque protagonists for beds and balconies. Get inspired by these tips:

plant chickweed

You can buy ready-grown chickweed plants from perennial nurseries from spring to autumn. Interesting for hobby gardeners is the sowing of germinating seeds. Properly sown, the cushion perennials flower in the first year. Read practical tips for successful planting in the following sections:

multiply

Chickweed seeds are cold germs. Only a cold stimulus of four to six weeks at – 4° Celsius in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator overcomes the germ inhibition. Anyone who does the time-consuming stratification before the sowing want to save, buy the seed as a gold nugget seed from jelitto.com or another retailer. Cultivation on the windowsill allows the young plants to grow better in the bed or pot. That is how it goes:

1. Fill the seed tray or small pots with a mix of potting soil, sand and coconut hum.
2. Place 2 seeds per cell or pot on the substrate and press down (light germinators).
3. Spray seeds with rainwater or stagnant tap water.
4. Put on a transparent hood or plastic bag.

At a bright window seat, the germination time is about a month at a constant 20° Celsius. After another four to six weeks you can prick out the seedlings. Another six to eight weeks pass before planting out or potting.

Location

Plenty of sun and poor soil are the most important key data for the optimal location:

• Sunny location with at least 3 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Sandy-drier, less nutritious garden floor, well drained and likes calcareous.
• Exclusion criteria: shady location, acidic pH below 5.5, waterlogging, more compacted, heavier clay soil.

So that the tender roots in normal garden floor grow well, preparatory tillage is helpful. Before planting, work sand or lava granules(€14.00 at Amazon*) into the earth. A mixture of peat-free potting soil, sand and coconut fibers have proven themselves in practice.

Planting - the best tips

Mountain sand flowers that are already bought or brought forward are easy to plant. The following tips give a compact overview of the planting time, planting distance and planting technique:

• The best planting time is in spring from the end of March/beginning of April.
• Enrich excavation of the shallow planting pit with screened compost soil and horn shavings(€9.00 at Amazon*) as starter fertilization.
• Plant chickweed as deep as before in the purchase container or breeding pot.
• Planting distance is 25 cm in the bed, 15 cm in the pot or balcony box.
• In the tub on the bottom of the pot a layer of expanded clay distribute as drainage.

Drought stress is the most common cause of sandweed failing to take root after planting. For this reason, regular watering is important until the rather short roots are well anchored in the ground.

digression

Combine chickweed creatively

cultivate chickweed

Chickweed is easy to care for. Proper watering plays a key role in the beginner-friendly grooming regimen. The frugal perennial is only fertilized every few years. Rejuvenation through division makes lazy mountain sand flowers perk up again. A light winter protection protects the frost-resistant perennial from fatal permanent wetness. How to care for mountain sandwort in an exemplary manner:

Pour

From the day of planting, expert watering makes an important contribution to the lush, richly branched growth of the prostrate shoots. Well-rooted, adult mountain chickweed survives even longer periods of drought without damage. How to water mountain chickweed correctly:

• Rule of thumb: When it is dry, it is better to water chickweed sparingly rather than every day in sips.
• Indication of need for watering: drooping leaves, noticeably dry soil (finger test 2 cm deep).
• Water quality: normal, often calcareous tap water, occasionally pond or rain water.

Fertilize

The recommended starting fertilization covers the nutrient requirements for two to three years. In the period that follows, the cushion perennial is best fertilized in liquid form every three years with a commercially available fertilizer flower fertilizer.(€15.00 at Amazon*) fixed, organic fertilizer, such as compost or bark humus, should be worked into the soil with a rake, which could damage the prostrate shoots and delicate roots.

Rejuvenate

Rejuvenation and propagation go hand in hand with cushion perennials such as ragweed, saxifrage or blue cushion. How to do it right:

1. The best time is in spring.
2. Dig up the chickweed with the root ball.
3. Place perennials on a solid surface.
4. With spade or cut knives into segments.
5. Cut off and discard dead, dead shoots.
6. Plant each section in the new location in compost-fertilized soil and water thoroughly.

Until the rejuvenated groundcover have grown in the sunny location, please water regularly with a fine spray from the watering can.

hibernate

In winter, the mountain sandflower simply ducks away under the cold wind. In any case, icy frost cannot harm the evergreen leaves that lie protectively over the root ball on densely branched tendrils. The cushion perennial should be armed against permanent winter wetness from rain or snow. This can be done with a cover made of brushwood or coniferous branches. If chickweed thrives in a pot or balcony box, please cover the container with fleece or bubble wrap. It makes sense to move to a rain and wind-protected niche in the wall.

Popular Varieties

The original species Arenaria montana provides the floral template for these beautiful chickweed varieties:

• Summer White: inspires with a sea of ​​white flowers and an extra-long flowering period from April to August.
• avalanches: petite premium variety with a growth height of 6-8 cm, which spreads an impressive 30 cm wide.
• Arenaria montana 'Blizzard': thrives up to 20 cm high and 30 cm wide in a sunny to partially shaded location.

FAQ

With what planting distance does mountain sandwort thrive as a blanket perennial?

Plant mountain chickweed 25 cm apart in the ground. For area-wide greening, plant 15 to 17 specimens per square meter. Don't be confused by the lost impression that the individual young plants give on the day of planting. Within a short time, the gaps close with densely leafy tendrils.

Should you prune chickweed after flowering?

Chickweed thrives as a cushion perennial and is not cut. After a hard winter, it is sometimes advantageous to cut off dried tendrils in early spring to make room for this year's fresh shoots.

Is chickweed poisonous to cats?

No, chickweed does not contain any toxic substances that could be dangerous for your darling. This makes the delicate cushion perennial the ideal candidate for decorative design in the family garden with pets.

What is important for proper Arenaria montana care?

Correct watering not only covers the current water requirement, but also makes a valuable contribution to the growth of the roots. Water chickweed rarely, but extensively and thoroughly. In this way, the roots are stimulated to penetrate into the deeper soil layers and to survive summer dry periods unscathed.

Can mountain chickweed overwinter in pots and balcony boxes?

Mountain Chickweed is a perennial with a leather hardiness down to -28° Celsius. Overwintering in the planter is possible provided the root ball is protected from frost and moisture. Cover the pot and balcony box with fleece. Place the vessels on wood in front of the house wall and cover the substrate with brushwood.