This is why you don't pull Nutsedge

I’m not sure who needs to hear this, but I hope it helps someone.

At the bottom of the root base, you’ll see “nutlets.” These nutlets are connected by weak roots, making them very easy to break off when pulled out. You might notice that there is often more than one nutlet. In this case, the second one broke off just from gently moving it in water to clean it. If you leave that nutlet in the ground, it will grow back.

“It’s nuttin’ time.”

Asher said:
“It’s nuttin’ time.”

When I tell my wife that she doesn’t smile.

Jory said:

Asher said:
“It’s nuttin’ time.”

When I tell my wife that she doesn’t smile.

[opens pecans, sobbing]

Asher said:

Jory said:
Asher said:
“It’s nuttin’ time.”

When I tell my wife that she doesn’t smile.

[opens pecans, sobbing]

Hahaha

Looks like why you should pull. Each one you pull is an aeration core.

Eli said:
Looks like why you should pull. Each one you pull is an aeration core.

They leave the lower bulbs behind when you just pull, and they regrow but angrier.

HolieMolie said:

Eli said:
Looks like why you should pull. Each one you pull is an aeration core.

They leave the lower bulbs behind when you just pull, and they regrow but angrier.

That’s got to have a thermodynamic limit.

@Lyle
It will grow back 3+ times and typically spread into multiple plants from simply pulling. How many more than three depends on how fast you pull it. When it’s regrowing, it’s also restoring some of the tuber’s stored energy.

@HolieMolie
It’s true that it grows back more than you would think, but it doesn’t replenish biomass that quickly. If you were really aggressive with it, you can meaningfully reduce the population over the course of a season. But that means repulling weekly or every time you see one. As a result, it’s not a very scalable task.

@Zara
You’re both right.

If you’re a habitual weed puller, eventually you will win the thermodynamic-biomass war.

But if you’re just an occasional puller, you’re aiding and abetting the enemy.

Terry said:
@Zara
You’re both right.

If you’re a habitual weed puller, eventually you will win the thermodynamic-biomass war.

But if you’re just an occasional puller, you’re aiding and abetting the enemy.

this was always my point WeenisWrinkle, doable (and therapeutic) for small area, NOT scalable.

no weed i enjoy pulling more than nutsedge

@Oli

no weed i enjoy pulling more than nutsedge

Any tips? I’ve never pulled it before.

Terry said:
@Oli
no weed i enjoy pulling more than nutsedge

Any tips? I’ve never pulled it before.

you just pull it and pull it. it comes out super easy when it breaks off the nut.

@Zara
If I left mine for a week it would be 6 inches tall and soaking in the sun.

@Zara
You’re right in general, but I’m going to be pedantic for a minute. Biomass isn’t limiting, because plant biomass is mostly made from water and air. The limiting factor for nutsedge regrowth is tuber energy storage. The tuber contains a significant amount of complex carbohydrates which can be readily converted into a larger mass of new shoots (mostly water and cellulose) to regrow through the soil to reach light, at which point it’s almost immediately photosynthesizing and supplementing/replenishing the tuber energy. If you go a certain amount of time between pulls, the plant will regain all the energy it lost regrowing.

So what do you do instead?

Morgan said:
So what do you do instead?

Sometimes I’ll yell at it when it first shows up.

Vail said:

Morgan said:
So what do you do instead?

Sometimes I’ll yell at it when it first shows up.

Has this worked?

Evren said:

Vail said:
Morgan said:
So what do you do instead?

Sometimes I’ll yell at it when it first shows up.

Has this worked?

I have nutsedge with a degradation kink apparently.