Nutgrass has invaded my ivy bed. Every company that sells nutsedge killer herbicide, that I have contacted, claim that their nutsedge herbicides will also kill my ivy with the nutgrass. I'm at a loss to know what to do. The preservation of the ivy bed is important to me but the nutgrass is ugly and I'd like to get rid of it if possible. I live in San Diego, California and the month is May. Can you suggest a plan for me?

Phil Reinheimer

to NGA

Start digging. Nutgrass is called nutgrass because of the little 'nuts' it grows on the root tips. Pull the nutgrass before it blooms, the nuts don't form until that time. After it blooms, you will have 12 to 15 additional plants to contend with.

Daisy

Thank you, Daisy, for the advice. We have started. What is the cycle of nutgrass blooming in San Diego? Phil

To a degree nut grass spreads like quake grass by rhizomes.
The white ones are easy to control but they also get the dark ones that spread horizontally like main rhizome of quake grass.
I had a hillside of nut grass once and dug out a 12 by 12 area, raked it and prepped it for sod.
Two years later the nut grass popped through the sod.

I do not know how large or compact your vines are but in an area dig a hole 12 deep carefully to observe the nut grass rooting system
Paint it with nut grass killer and see how much dies; that way you will know how far that system goes.

I killed mine with nut sedge killer, which up here is oddly not available so I had to mail order it.
When I sprayed where it was in the flower garden I held the sprayer just above the ground, inches and did put no more down than to wet the sedge.
May the phates be with you.
Worst case scenario, dig out your vines the way you do for repotting and then blast the area with sedge killer.