‘Teaming With Microbes’ podcast: All about chickweed

This week Jeff and Jonathan explore an incredibly resilient plant.

Welcome to our weekly podcast with longtime Anchorage Daily News garden writer and author Jeff Lowenfels and co-host Jonathan White. It’s a companion to Jeff’s weekly ADN gardening columns and his popular series of books.

Jonathan reveals his fondness for chickweed, while Jeff expresses his dislike for this rapidly growing weed. However, they both agree on chickweed’s resilient nature and its ability to spread.

Digging a bit deeper, Jeff introduces the plant’s alternative names, such as mouse ears, starflower and satin weed. Some fascinating aspects of chickweed include its ability to grow with minimal light and its indication of healthy soil.

After the break, they continue discussing chickweed, emphasizing that each plant can produce 25,000 seeds!

Wrapping up the episode, they answer a listener’s question about compost.

Have a question? Ask Jeff and Jonathan at teamingwithmicrobes@me.com

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Sponsored by Number 2 Organics, Big Foot Microbes and Down to Earth Fertilizers

Hosts: Jeff Lowenfels and Jonathan White. Produced by Evan Phillips.

This podcast is a collaboration between the hosts and Anchorage Daily News.

Feedback: teamingwithmicrobes@me.com

Read Lowenfels’ weekly columns on gardening and growing at ADN.com.

Read Jeff’s books: “Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web,” “Teaming with Nutrients: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to Optimizing Plant Nutrition,” “Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower’s Guide to Mycorrhizae,” among others.


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Listen to previous episodes:


Jeff Lowenfels

Jeff Lowenfels has written a weekly gardening column for the ADN for more than 45 years. His columns won the 2022 gold medal at the Garden Communicators International conference. He is the author of a series of books on organic gardening available at Amazon and elsewhere. He co-hosts the "Teaming With Microbes" podcast.

Jonathan White

Jonathan White is the co-host, with Jeff Lowenfels, of the "Teaming with Microbes" podcast. He's an Anchorage small business owner, gardener and former journalist.