Nutsedge/Nutgrass
What to do About Purple Nutsedge (Nutgrass)
- Get the Correct Information
After 28 years as a pest control advisor, the owner of this company has never heard of one single person that has had success with digging and screening the nuts from the soil. Don't try it; it does not work. In addition, nutgrass does not come from over-watering your lawn. 99.9% of the nutgrass in Kern County is purple nutsedge, not yellow. 90% or more of nutgrass does not come from seed, which makes mower contamination nearly impossible. - Proper Herbicide Application
SedgeHammer™ is the only herbicide on the market that will control purple nutsedge, but it must be used correctly in order to work well. The manufacturer clearly states that SedgeHammer™ must be applied using a non-ionic surfactant. SedgeHammer™ will not work with dish soap. In addition, practical experience makes it obvious that after you mix SedgeHammer™, it must be used immediately; 12 hours is too long. Spraying Round Up™ on nutgrass will only kill surrounding vegetation (or turf), eliminating any competition for nutrients in the soil and potentially making the problem worse. - Do Not Hand Pick
Do not pick nutgrass! Picking nutgrass increases the viability of the other dormant tubers in the soil. - Be Aware of Possible Contamination
A recent University of Santa Barbara cooperative extension agent studied nutgrass in a compost heap, which reached a high enough temperature to kill all other weeds. Tubers were exposed for two weeks. Even after this "cooking" process, the nutlets were still viable. Implications are that the majority of nutgrass comes via contaminated nursery stock soil, steer manure, and some types of soil or sand. Note: Small infestations become big infestations after tilling, renovating, or power raking a lawn.
