How to Eliminate Nut Grass

The number of weeds in this lawn indicate that the grass is thin and subject to nutgrass infestation.

Nutgrass is actually a sedge, which is differentiated from a grass by its triangular stem. Grasses have round stems. Primary problem weeds among the sedges are yellow nutsedge and purple nutsedge. The scientific names for these two plants are Cyperus esculentus and Cyperus rotundus respectively. Nutsedges are perennial plants and reproduce primarily from underground tubers or fleshy stems. Nutgrass can be a problem in lawns, cultivated areas and anywhere soil has been disturbed.

Things You'll Need

• trowel or sharp-shooter spade
• herbicide
• herbicide sprayer

Instructions

1. Identify whether you have yellow or purple nutsedge. Control measures vary depending upon the species of nutgrass. Yellow nutsedge has yellow flowers and leaves with pinched tops. Purple nutsedge has purple flowers and leaves that are keeled like a boat.

2. Hand-dig individual nutgrass plants if infestations are small. Nutgrass plants have a bulb at the base of the plant and one at the end of a tuber. Care should be taken when hand-digging plants to remove both bulbs. Otherwise the remaining bulb will produce a new plant.

3. Maintain a thick carpet of turfgrass, which will restrict the ability of nutgrass to compete for light, space and nutrients. To use turf as a successful control measure, it must be properly fertilized, mowed, watered and aerated.

4. Cover bare soil in ornamental plantings with some type of mulch. This will help reduce infestations of nutgrass, but not eliminate it.

5. Apply a herbicide through a hose-end, back-pack, pump-up or other suitable sprayer. Metolachlor controls yellow nutsedge when it is applied before the weeds emerge from the soil. Bentazon controls this same plant after it starts growing. Imazaquin controls purple nutsedge after it begins growing and glyphosate controls both types of nutgrass. Glyphosate should be used in areas where there are no other desirable plants, since it controls a broad spectrum of plants.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have trouble identifying your species of nutgrass, dig a plant and take it to your county agricultural agent. He can either identify the plant or send it to a plant taxonomist.

• Chemical names of active ingredients in herbicide have been used rather than product trade names. Product labels list these active ingredients.

• Always read and follow label instructions when using an herbicide.

References

• MSU Care: Weeds in Mississippi--How can I control nutgrass?
• Georgia Faces: Nut Grass a Mighty Hard Weed to Control
• Green Seeds: Nutgrass Control in the Lawn, Landscape, and Garden