How to Get Rid of Nutgrass

Co-authored by Ben Barkan

Last Updated: October 12, 2024 Approved

Nut grass, also called nutsedge, is a horrifically resilient weed that plagues many a lawn. It has strong roots and nodules that are often referred to as "nuts" (hence the name). The most thorough way to rid your lawn of nut grass is by removing the plant, root and all, by hand. You can also try chemical herbicides, however, or you can coat the grass in sugar as an organic alternative.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Identify Nutgrass

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Nutgrass generally grows taller and looks lighter than the rest of your grass. Since it is similar to other grass varieties, small patches can be difficult to notice unless you are specifically looking for them.
Kneel on the ground and look at the shape and thickness of the grass blades growing in out of place patches. Nutgrass has thick, stiff blades that shoot up from stems in sets of three. Most normal varieties of grass have two blades that shoot up from a single stem. ^{[1]
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Break a stem of potential nutgrass off and look at the broken end. Nutgrass has a triangular stem with a solid center, while most normal grasses have rounded stems. Many normal grasses are also more hollow inside than they are solid. ^{[2]
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If you suspect that you have nutgrass based on the appearance of the upper half of the plant, you can either proceed to remove the grass immediately or you can dig down to the root to confirm your suspicions before taking further action. Use a garden trowel to cautiously dig beside the patch of grass and look for any nut-shaped nodules at the root. You may need to dig as deep as 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 centimeters). ^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Removal by Hand

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You will need to dig into the dirt quite a bit using this method, and gardening gloves should reduce the amount of dirt you get on your skin and under your nails.
Dig down as far as you can go. Nut grass root systems can extend as deep down as 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 centimeters) below the surface. ^{[4]
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Doing this gently is vital to reduce the number of roots that break off, as well as the number of pieces those roots break into. ^{[6]
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If any roots remain, there is still some chance that the nut grass can return.
Dispose of the weeds in your trash. Do not throw them into a pile or into a compost heap, since you may end up spreading them into another area of your lawn by doing so.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Sugar

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It proves most effective at the start of the growing season, when nut grass is just barely beginning to germinate and sprout. ^{[7]
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You do not need to soak it, but the lawn should be evenly moist down to the soil.
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Sift sugar over your lawn in straight lines. Walk up and down the lawn in straight lines and at a steady pace. Pour the sugar through a sifter as you walk, continually turning the handle of the sifter the make sure that the sugar falls on the grass in even amounts.
- This is no mere folk remedy. Sugar actually "eats" the nut grass while nourishing microbes that have a positive effect on your lawn.
Do not saturate the grass, since doing so will wash the sugar away. Spray the lawn with a light mist, providing just enough water to re-moisten the blades of grass and coax the sugar down into the soil and the roots of the lawn.
The nut grass may not die off completely after the first treatment, but after a couple more, all of it should be dead.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Chemical Control

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Leafy nut grass has too many obstacles, preventing herbicides from sliding down to the "nuts" and the root. Herbicides work best early in the season, while nut grass is still young and has minimal leaves. ^{[8]
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Products that contain MSMA or products with a chemical called bentazon work best. ^{[9]
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Penn State Extension
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Go to source} Nut grass is a common enough problem, so typically speaking, herbicides that work against the weed will be labeled as "nut grass killers."
The herbicide works best when the weed is growing vigorously, and may not be as effective if applied immediately after cutting the weed down. Wait two or more days after your last lawn mowing before applying the chemical to the lawn. ^{[10]
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University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
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Wait several days after your last watering, and do not spray the herbicide if you may get rain four hours after application or if you expect heavy rains to follow in coming days. Water will wash the chemical away, and it may not have the chance to do its job before that happens.
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Trustworthy Source
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
Division of the University of Georgia focused on research and community education
Go to source} You will usually spray diluted MSMA herbicide over your entire lawn. For instance, the instructions may tell you to mix 1.5 ounces (45 milliliters) of chemical into 5 gallons (20 liters) of water to treat 1000 square feet (92.9 square meters) of lawn.
Warm season grass may only require two applications, but cool season grass may need four to eight applications before the nut grass dies off completely.

Community Q&A

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How do I get rid of nutgrass and prevent it from coming back?

Community Answer

I was so desperate to get rid of the nutgrass in my ground cover that I made a tool (taped 6 cotton buds together) and applied poison to each individual strand of the grass. I was very careful to avoid the ground cover. It was very difficult to get enough to coat the grass without harming the ground cover. I did this over a few days to the same strands until I saw they were dead. They have never returned.

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Question

I have nutgrass in my flower beds; I thought I had dug all of it out, but it continues to pop up. What is best method to kill it without killing lantana?

Community Answer

Nut grass "nut" is 30 feet below and can stay dormant for years. Try using a liquid weed killer to keep it under control. I have yet to kill a lantana even with straight weed killer on it. They are very hardy.

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Why do people want to get rid of nutgrass?

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Because it's unsightly, chokes other plants, takes the nutrients in the soil for itself, and generally drives most people crazy!

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Tips

Determine whether or not the nut grass is growing in a wet area. Oftentimes, nut grass develops because of poor drainage. If you discover that nut grass is growing in a wet area, you may be able to minimize further growth by drying out the grass and looking for ways to improve the drainage properties of the soil. This may not be enough to kill this resilient weed, since it can grow even in drought-like conditions, but it may reduce the amount of nut grass.

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Do not attempt to lay mulch over nut grass. This weed is so persistent that it will usually push its way through mulches, cloth, and even plastic.

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Never turn the soil in an attempt to remove the nut grass. Turning the soil will only end up spreading the "nuts," and may actually make the problem worse instead of better.

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Warnings

Keep children and animals off the grass for 24 to 72 hours after applying a chemical weed killer. Many of these chemicals are toxic if consumed.

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Be aware of the fact that broad-application chemical herbicides, especially those containing MSMA, can discolor your grass after frequent application.

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Things You'll Need

Gardening gloves
Garden trowel
Garden hose
Sifter
Sugar
Herbicide

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How to Get Rid of Nutgrass

Steps

Identify Nutgrass

Removal by Hand

Using Sugar

Using Chemical Control

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Warnings

Things You'll Need

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