Identification help

giant_trainer 3/9/2015, 7:32 pm

What is this stuff and why did it take over two of my boxes this winter?? I was thinking maybe I used some compost that had weed seeds or it grew from the bottom. I used either a thick layer of newspaper under my boxes or cardboard boxes.

Identification help 20150312

giant_trainer 3/9/2015, 7:33 pm

This will be year 3 for the boxes. If that makes a difference.

CWJones 3/10/2015, 12:01 am

Purslane. Very easy to pull up by hand if your soil mix is loose. It didn't grow up from the bottom, it just blew in on the wind. Very common in this area. Just don't sweat it as it is only a small aggravation.

CWJ

**sanderson** 3/10/2015, 2:12 am

And edible. http://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/030726.html

**camprn** 3/10/2015, 6:48 am

This is purslane. Purslane is a succulent.
http://www.msuturfweeds.net/images/galleries/purslane/1.jpg

I think what you have there is a chick weed, otherwise known as stitchwort.http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellaria

Goosegirl 3/10/2015, 7:24 am

camprn wrote:This is purslane. Purslane is a succulent.
http://www.msuturfweeds.net/images/galleries/purslane/1.jpg

I think what you have there is a chick weed, otherwise known as stitchwort.http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellaria

+1

**AtlantaMarie** 3/10/2015, 8:37 am

I dunno... That looks awful big & hardy for chickweed. I've got lots of it and it ain't that big! Chickweed is much daintier.

GWN 3/10/2015, 11:09 am

I would agree with Atlanta Marie, it looks like purlane TOTALLY overgrown. I think your picture and the original picture look the same
I have lots of chickweed, up here in BC and it has much smaller leaves and stems..
Seems pretty

**sanderson** 3/10/2015, 1:07 pm

It's hard to tell just from a photo. The photo Camp linked shows purslane with its distinctive red stems. That's what we have here.

CWJones 3/10/2015, 10:46 pm

Something I missed the first time. Upper photo center right there is also either one henbit or carolina geranimum. Again same deal, hand weeding will easily control it in limited space of SFG or pots. Won't eliminate it as it blew in from somewhere and it (all the above) is everywhere in this area. And it is an late winter/early spring loving bunch. This weather we are now having is just what it wants.
Now I need to go clean out and prepare my beds and plant my peas, radish, beets, carrots, mustard, etc. IF it would just stop raining...

CWJ

dirtyfingers 5/12/2015, 9:07 pm

I am pretty sure at least one of those is chick weed. The give-away are the buds at the top of the plant. Yup it looks big, but this is a close-up and there is another weed in there also. Chickweed will flower before purslane appears. Purslane needs warmer weather. Chickweed is one of the first spring plants to appear. Also the color and shape of the leaves is not right for purslane. I had a whole garden full of chickweed before I harvested it for medicine. Now looking forward to purslane in June.

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