nutsedge – Xtremehorticulture

Nutrgrass in Lawns Good Riddance!

Leave a Comment / bermudagrass lawn, control, nutgrass, nutsedge / xtremehorticulture

Q. We have had nutgrass in our lawn (Tiff type Bermuda) for many years. There used to be a solution that would kill it or keep it at bay. I haven’t seen it for the last 3 plus years. It seems unless we can pull out the root and little “nut” at the end, it just keeps spreading. Any suggestions? Nutgrass in a Tiff-type bermudagrass A. Used to be that nutgrass, also called nutsedge both the purple and yellow types, were common problems in nursery soils. Once established in landscapes they were both tough to get under control because of the “nut” you mentioned. If the top was killed, the nut would regrow new “blades of grass”. The top, which looked like a lawn grass at first glance, would grow faster than the surrounding grass, or a light green color, and became a problem in well-manicured lawns or other stands of grass. Nutgrass with an attached “nut” which oftentimes breaks from the mother plant when it is pulled. Leaving behind the “nut” is the most common way for this weed to spread. The best chemical control is with a product containing “Halosulfuron-methyl”. Look for this in the ingredients of the product. It may be called a trade name like “Sedgehammer” or others. That’s why its important to read the ingredients of a chemical and not just the trade or product name. This product may be hard to find so it may require buying it online from Do My Own pest control. It will require more than one application to kill the “nut”. The top will die, and you think it is dead, but the nut may regrow new “blades of grass” in a few weeks so watch for it. It is important to follow the label directions for these products exactly. In the past the problem has been the resprouting of the nut after the top died. It is very important to reapply this chemical as soon as regrowth is seen, or the spreading of the nuts will make the problem worse. The hybrid bermudagrasses are a good choice for lawns in our area. They can use about 25% less water than tall fescues lawns and typically have few weed or disease problems. Just for your information, the “Tiff-type” hybrid bermudagrasses come in different varieties such as ‘Tifdwarf’, ‘Tifgreen’, ‘Tifway’, and others. Tiff type bermudagrasses are used on golf courses and isn’t the same grass as our weed, Common bermudagrass.

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Nutgrass or Nutsedge Difficult to Kill with Chemicals

1 Comment / nutgrass, nutsedge / xtremehorticulture

Q. I have tried digging this weed up but it comes back. I have tried both Roundup and Spectracide according to the package directions, and even painting it on the foliage full strength. Although it starts out pretty small, if I miss pulling one up, they get quite large. Any assistance in getting rid of this plant is greatly appreciated. Judging from the roots which actually look like a rhizome I believe this is nutgrass. A. Judging from the pictures you sent this is one of the nutgrasses or nutsedge. The roots sure look like it to me. To be sure if it is one of the sedges and not a grass, cut the top of the weed off at its stem just below the leaves. Roll the stem between your fingers and see if the stem is triangular rather than round. Sedges have triangular stems in cross section. Rolling the stem between your thumb and first finger you should “feel” the triangular bumps of the stem and the stem should not feel round. Nutgrass with nut attache to the rhizome or “root”. Sedges, like nutgrass, are more difficult to kill than grasses. Nutgrasses have underground “nuts” attached to the “roots” which are really underground stems called rhizomes. These nuts grow into new plants if they are separated from the mother plant or the mother plant is killed. This is why pulling, hoeing or using chemical weed killers do not work on this plant. As you have found out, spraying the tops with Roundup or dandelion killer “burn” the tops back but release the growth of the nuts. Triangular stem of nutgrass in cross section. These nuts are usually anywhere from 4 to 8 inches below the soil surface. All you have done is kill the mother plant and the baby plants released from the nuts that pop from the ground grow like they are on Red Bull. Pulling nutgrass from the soil easily separates the nuts from the mother plant with the same result. What to do? There are two basic approaches toward getting some control. The first is soil replacement. If it’s a small area, you can dig down 12 to 14 inches deep, remove the soil and replace it with clean soil. You can take the soil and put it in a clear plastic bag in the middle of summer and “cook” it using the sun. You can starve out the nuts. If you continue to remove the tops at the soil surface, over and over, before they get more than two or 3 inches tall it is possible to exhaust or starve the nuts so that they die. If you pursue this option you have got to stay on top of it or it will not work

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