I recently installed tall fescue sod in Southern California, about 3 weeks ago now. I’ve been watering multiple times everyday on the fixed schedule. However, I’m seeing these tall light green things shoot up and grow well above my grass. Does anyone know what it is and if I need to pull them or kill and control them? If so, what’s the best recommendation? I looked online and it appears to be annual rye grass or yellow nutsedge. But, I haven’t a clue. Thanks in advance for your help.
Weed called Nutsedge or Nut grass. Yes it needs to be controlled or it will spread via root nodes. As long as it not too hot where you live you can get some herbicide. Be sure to get one that controls Nutsedge.
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Yeah just pulling it out doesn’t eradicate it. Definitely a weed that needs an herbicide.
This weed is called nutgrass. The absolute best product to control this weed is Sedgehammer. It is safe to use on fescue. Another product is Image, but has poor performance. Any good garden center will carry Sedgehammer. It may take two applications. READ THE LABEL.
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Thanks @Jetdrive and @Kubisuro.
I was told not to spray anything (fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, etc.) on the sod until about 6-8 weeks after installation; to let the roots establish. I’ve been trying to pull them out the last few days.
It’ll be in the 80s here for a few days, then pushing high 90s next week. Is that too hot?
I haven’t cut the grass yet either. Have a few more days until the end of the 3 week mark, which is when I planned to cut it. Just started to walk on it a few days ago. It seems pretty damp because of the daily watering, I may stop for a few days to let it dry a little bit before mowing the grass. Then set it to water twice a day every other day for a week (start of week 4). Then move to one a day every other day for a week (start of week 5). Finally, moving it to a flex daily schedule at the start of week 6.
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I missed the part about new sod. Hold off until August and you can spray. Pulling the weeds is nearly a waste of time, since the weed spreads from small “nuts” underground.
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Sedgehammer will control that.
1 small package mixes with just 1 gallon of water and treats 1000 sq ft.
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DON"T PULL NUT SEDGE - it stimulates extra growth as a defense mechanism and you’re only making the problem worse. MOW OFTEN and keep it from getting sunlight, then use herbicide when the time is right. USE BLINDSIDE OR SEDGEHAMMER and keep at it, it will take several seasons.
definitely Nutsedge…Very hard to get rid of sometimes. You absolutely have to use herbicide to kill it completely.
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