August 28, 2025 – Nut Sedge, commonly called “nut grass”, is not a grass at all. Sedges may look like grass at times, but the stems are markedly different from true grasses. Sedges have triangular-shaped stems, while the stems of grasses are round.
Sedges spread by underground rhizomes, similar to Bermuda grass. Different from Bermuda, sedges have a pea-sized “nut” on the root which can start new plants. Pulling nut sedge from the garden seldom works, since both the “nut” and all rhizomes must be removed for success. Pulling a sedge out of the ground without removing the “nut” and all rhizomes will result in the remaining plant parts to reproduce.
Sedges require a herbicide specifically designed for them, as common grass killers (RoundUp, etc.) do not work very well on them. Image , Sedgehammer , and Bonide’s SedgeEnder are brand name herbicides that are specifically designed to kill sedges. Be sure to read the label before buying any herbicide to make sure the plant to be controlled is listed, and always pfollow the directions for applying any chemical.
