This weed grows best in consistently damp, recently disturbed soil, and as such is often introduced into our gardens unintentionally by way of nursery or garden centre plants which provide these ideal growing conditions.
It is a cool-season annual which blooms in early Spring (sometimes even as early as late Winter!) and will continue to bloom off and on until late Fall. It has a shallow root system and is easily controlled through regular cultivation (hoeing). Large plants should be pulled by hand and disposed of immediately (in green waste) as the seeds can still ripen after the plant has been pulled up. You can work young plants into the garden bed as a green mulch. In fact, you can use Cardamine hirsute as a cover crop over Winter and till it into the soil before the seeds ripen - unless you wish to use it as a cover crop for the following winter. Seeds germinate in the Autumn, and the young plants will overwinter before blooming. Mulching your garden bed in late Summer will help prevent germination of this weed.
Seeds are formed in Siliquae which is a type of seed capsule that will burst explosively when touched, sending seeds flying far from the parent plant. I don't know about you, but I have had Hairy Bittercress seeds explode in my face more than a few times...
Based on personal experience it is my opinion that this weed is not that hard to keep under control through proper garden cultivation. Perhaps you might event want to keep a few growing for culinary purposes?
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