Nutsedge, sometimes called nutgrass or watergrass, looks like tall, thin, glossy blades of grass in the lawn and 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 with three distinct sides.

Unfortunately, nutsedge is almost impossible to hand pull. Sedge forms small nutlets underground. The nutlets sprout whenever a mother plant is pulled, creating 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 also spread by seed.

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 not to spray any desirable plants. Using a piece of cardboard between your plant and the nutsedge is one way to avoid overspray.