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Is this the worst weed in Sacramento?

Nutsedge sprouts as weather warms

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED MAR 9, 2021

Nutsedge next to a sprinkler

The sharp-edged leaves in the center of the photo belong to fast-growing

nutsedge plants near a sprinkler head. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)

What’s the worst weed in Sacramento? It depends on who you ask and what season.

Right now, one fast-growing candidate tops the list: Nutsedge.

Also called nutgrass, this tough perennial is sprouting like crazy, pulling energy from its underground tubers or “nuts.” Those tubers, which lurk about 4 to 6 inches below the surface, push out fresh growth once soil temperatures start to warm each spring.

That early growth looks like wide-bladed ornamental grass, but nutsedge is a true sedge, with thicker and sturdier leaves than grass. It spreads via equally tough rhizomes, or underground stems.

According to UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners, the most common variety in Sacramento is yellow nutsedge. Its close cousin, purple nutsedge, needs warmer temperatures to sprout and is more prevalent in Southern California, but can show up in Sacramento, too.

Once established, nutsedge is nearly impossible to eradicate due to those resilient rhizomes and tubers. The tubers can stay dormant three years and still sprout.

Like most perennials, nutsedge dies back in late fall or early winter, but never actually disappears. When it resurfaces with fresh spring growth, take action. Otherwise, the clumps will just continue to spread – up to 10 feet across.

“The best approach for avoiding nutsedge problems is to prevent establishment of the weed in the first place,” say the master gardeners. “Once established, nutsedge plants are difficult to control.”

Nutsedge particularly likes damp spots in the garden where water tends to collect.

“They thrive in waterlogged soil, and their presence often indicates drainage is poor, irrigation is too frequent, or sprinklers are leaky,” say the master gardeners. “Once established, however, they will tolerate normal irrigation conditions or drought.”

To fight nutsedge, grab a hoe. On the first pass, whack the young plants, aiming the hoe to hit about an inch below the soil line. Young plants also can be pulled by hand.

“If you hoe, be sure to dig down at least 8 to 14 inches to remove the entire plant,” adds the master gardeners. “Using a tiller to destroy mature plants only will spread the infestation, because it will move the tubers around in the soil. However, repeated tillings of small areas before the plants have six leaves will reduce populations. If you find nutsedge in small patches in your turf, dig out the patch down to at least 8 inches deep, refill, and then seed or sod the patch.”

Landscape fabric can be used under wood chip mulch to try and block nutsedge from emerging. But don’t use plastic mulch; the nutsedge’s pointy leaves will poke right through.

“Prevent establishment by removing small plants before they develop tubers, eliminating the wet conditions that favor nutsedge growth, using certain fabric mulches in landscape beds, and making sure nutsedge tubers aren’t brought in with topsoil or other materials,” say the master gardeners.

Herbicides are mostly ineffective against nutsedge because of those tubers.

Another approach: Take away what nutsedge needs most – water and sun. An area constantly plagued by nutsedge can be dried out over summer; but that also eliminates irrigation to anything else growing in that area. Or shade out the nutsedge by growing taller plants that hog the sunlight.

“Nutsedges don’t grow well in shade, so changing landscape plantings might reduce their growth,” say the master gardeners. “For example, a highly infested, annually planted flower bed might be better off if you replant it with a tall, dense ground cover or shrub. Low-growing ground covers won’t shade out nutsedge.”

If you can’t beat it, eat it. That’s a suggestion by Los Angeles garden writer Joshua Siskin, a UC Davis alumnus.

“Nutsedge may be the worst weed but it’s also the most palatable, owing to its tubers,” Siskin wrote. “The tubers may be boiled or roasted, eaten raw, dried, or ground and used for flavoring drinks and cookies. The taste will remind you of almonds. In Spain, ground tubers are combined with sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, water and ice to make a drink they call horchata de chufa.”

Remember, it’s only a weed if you haven’t figured out how to use it.

For more on nutsedge: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7432.html and http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/WEEDS/nutsedge.html .

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An article about gardening.

Keywords:

UCCE master gardeners gardening rhizomes Sacramento integrated pest management spring chores nutsedge wet conditions irrigation warm weather weeds

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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

FALL

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests

June 3: Make your own compost

May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?

May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers

April 8: When to plant summer vegetables

April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths

March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth

WINTER

March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds

March 4: Potatoes from the garden

Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space

Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting

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Garden checklist for week of Nov. 16

During breaks in the weather, tackle some garden tasks:

* Clear gutters and storm drains.

* Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* After the storm, seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Plant bulbs at two-week intervals to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting them. Do leave some (healthy) leaves in the planting beds for wildlife and beneficial insect habitat.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

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