Nutsedge, sometimes called nutgrass or watergrass, looks like tall, thin, glossy blades of grass in the lawn and in landscape beds. It is actually in the sedge family. The fastest way to identify it is to roll an entire spring or stem between your fingers. Nutsedge has a triangular stem and has three distinct sides.

Unfortunately, nutsedge is almost impossible to hand pull.  Sedge forms small nutlets underground. Whenever a mother plant is pulled, all the nutlets sprout, forming a denser clump. These nutlets can also remain dormant in the ground for up to three years, perpetuating the problem. The parent plants themselves are perennial and should never be allowed to set seed since they can spread by seed as well.

In lawns, nutsedge can be chemically controlled with Bonide’s Sedge Ender.

In landscape beds, nutsedge must be either spot sprayed or dug up with a shovel. Digging will need to be done multiple times throughout the season.  For spot spraying, Hi-Yield Killzall a glysophate product will work. Be careful to not spray any desirable plants. Using a piece of cardboard between your plant and the nutsedge is one way to avoid overspray.