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Friday, January 2, 2015

Nut Grass War

I have a huge nut grass problem at my garden.   It is coming up everywhere.  I think I created a bigger problem by tilling the garden last spring.  I didn't realize there was nut grass in the plot before I tilled it.   I probably chopped the rhizomes up into smaller piece and created more plants when I tilled.   It it coming up everywhere.   I have tried sedgehammer which is a herbicide to specifically kill nut grass.  It turns yellow after a while but sends up brand new shoots a little later, so I don't think it kills the roots.   The best way to kill it is to dig up all the roots.   There is a nut or hard round piece of root at the base of each plant.  That sends out shoots which causes it to spread.  If you just pull it and leave the nut behind,  it will sent out more shoots causing it to grow faster.  You have to dig it up and remove the nut and all the rhizomes and attached grasses to get rid of it.  If you see a new one again -immediately dig it up and throw in the trash.  Do not compost and it will survive - and re-infest your garden again when you add the compost.  

I spent the day digging up the rhizome is a spot that I was amending the soil and planting daffodil bulbs.

Here are some pictures of the nut grass I dug up.  Not the extensive network of rhizomes with new plants on the end.



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