Nut Sedge

July/Aug 2016

How do I kill nutgrass? It is in my flower beds. Every time I pull it out, more grows. Help!!

Nutgrass is one of our most tenacious weeds. If you are just pulling the weed and not getting the little nutlet underground, it will just come back. It is a perennial weed in the sedge family. Spot spraying with Round-up or glyphosate will work, but use care not to spray desirable vegetation. You can also use SedgeHammer. SedgeHammer is labeled for use in lawns and landscape beds, but read and follow the label directions before applying it around desirable ornamentals.

February 2011

What can I use to get rid of nutgrass?

Nutgrass or nutsedge is a warm season weed, so it should be totally dormant now. When it emerges in late spring, you can control in fairly well with Sedgehammer in lawns and flower beds. Spot spraying with a glyphosate product works ok too. Pre-emergent products don’t work on it, because this weed is a perennial and comes back from a small nutlet yearly. The grass herbicides also are not effective because it is not a true grass but a sedge. It is quite tenacious, and you will not get rid of it with one application of anything.

June 2006

Like most folks, I have a problem with nut grass, which I assume is the same thing as nutsedge. I’ve been told that even if I pull it up, nut and all, it will still come back because there are a series of other roots which will just takes its place. Is this correct? I’ve tried Roundup, Killsall, Poast, etc, but not one of these have been effective. I recently saw a bottle of Image that says it controls nutsedge. Do you know if this stuff really works? Is there another product you would recommend?

The easiest way to control nutsedge is to move! Since most of us don’t have that option, there are things to help suppress it. Eradicating it may be another thing altogether! Nutgrass and nutsedge are one and the same. While it looks grass-like at first glance, it is actually a sedge—with triangular leaf blades. Grass specific weed killers won’t touch it—thus the Poast was ineffective. Physically removing as much as you can, nutlets and all will help, but won’t kill all the small dormant nutlets or seeds—thus you will have new plants appear. For those that come back there are some remedies. Sedgehammer (previously called Certainty) is a good sedge killer and is labeled for use on all lawn grasses. It does a great job, but heavy infestations won’t be completely eradicated in one season.

July 2007

How do I kill nutgrass? It is in my flower beds. Every time I pull it out, more grows. Help!!

June 2006

I always listen to your show and read your column, but I am working in and out of town for a few months, so I just get a chance to read you on the computer. When I have a break in the fall, I want to plant some shrubbery beside my house where there's nothing growing except nutgrass and the like. I wanted to surround the shrubbery with mulch and/or rocks. What would be the best way to get rid of the grass and weeds? Should I put down fabric under the shrubbery?

Since you are planning in advance, go ahead and till the site, add compost or whatever amendments you plan and try to rake up as much of the plant debris that you can. Then see what grows back. Spray whatever comes up with Roundup. If you have a lot of nutgrass use a product called Sedgehammer. It is fairly effective on sedges and should be ok this far in advance of planting--read the label directions. It is primarily a lawn herbicide but is labeled for some established woody ornamentals, but I would not use it on new plantings. If you can kill the majority of the weeds prior to planting, then mulch the bed, it should be easier to control later weeds. Landscape fabric is a good idea if you plan to put in just a few shrubs and no other flowers. If you like to plant annuals and bulbs or other flowering plants, the use of fabric is questionable. Each time you cut through it you are opening up your potential for weeds, and it does make planting more of a challenge.

June 2005

I am looking for advice on getting rid of nut grass. I have it in my lawn and I have St. Augustine, which is so sensitive to chemicals. The sprays I have tried are working and digging and sifting is a back breaking job. What can I use in the flower beds?

Nutgrass is one of those weeds that makes moving seem like a good idea! In reality, there are a few products that can give you some control. For the lawn, there are several products labeled for use. One of the best products is Sedgehammer. With heavy infestations you may have to use more than one application. It is one of the most effective products and is safe on all lawn grasses, including St. Augustine and Centipede. The older recommendation is Image plus MSMA. While this is effective on nutsedge, you would have to use at least two applications, and it tends to burn back your lawn fairly badly. It is labeled only for Bermuda and Zoysia. In the flower beds, spot spray with Round-up, but again, it will take more than one application.

All links to external sites open in a new window. You may return to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture web site by closing this window when you are finished. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the information, or the accessibility for people with disabilities listed at any external site.

Links to commercial sites are provided for information and convenience only. Inclusion of sites does not imply University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's approval of their product or service to the exclusion of others that may be similar, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the products or service offered.

The mention of any commercial product in this web site does not imply its endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture over other products not named, nor does the omission imply that they are not satisfactory.