Wednesday, July 15, 2015

A Particularly Nasty Garden Culprit


Recognize this culprit?  
It is often called nut grass, but it actually isn't a grass at all.  It is a sedge - nut sedge - and it is one of the most common weeds found around the world.  Yes, in the world!!

What is the difference between a grass and a sedge?  Well, grass stems are round and hollow, while sedge stems are triangular.  This triangular shape enables the stem of nut sedge to pierce through tough landscape fabric! Sedges have thicker leaves that are arranged in groups of three at the base.

Nut sedge reproduces through rhizomes, tubers, and seeds. To control this weed manually in your garden, flowerbeds, or lawn would mean digging out an area 8-14 inches deep and 12 inches beyond the border of the infested area to remove the support system.

Spraying with glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round Up, will kill the above ground portion of the plant, but will do little to eradicate it from your yard.  There are products designed specifically for nut sedge control that will give you more success, however most articles I have read state.....

"Control of nut sedge should be viewed as a long-term process"

Well, darn!!

Love ya'll, 
Shelli 


 Weeds are nature's graffiti.
 ~Janice Maeditere

1 comment:

Unknown said...

If you dig down about 4 inches or so you will find a small brown nut. This must be removed/pulled out to get rid if the sedge. This is what I have been told and have done. Good luck!