One of the aggressive weeds in lawns, flower beds and gardens is nutsedge, aka nutgrass. Nutsedge has a distinctive three-angled stem that is tough and fibrous. It can persist in an environment for years until the conditions are right for growth. Nutsedge spreads by seed, tubers, cultivation and can be introduced in topsoil, compost and nursery stock. One of the drawbacks to over watering or poor drainage is the sudden appearance of nutsedge. Why? Because this stuff likes it moist. So, if you have nutsedge show up take a look at the irrigation system, including possible leaks in that area.

Controlling nutsedge is a process not an event. Post emergent herbicides are the most common and for me have been the most effective. One of the best is Sedgehammer. One package will cover 1,000 square feet and may require two to three applications. The other is called Sedge Ender. This Bonide product come in a hose end bottle and will cover up to 5,800 square feet. Neither of these products are safe for a veggie garden so read and follow the directions.

Now we go to the garden. I have tried some of the natural controls for nutsedge but all I did was hurt its feelings and not kill it. The most noninvasive way is to dig it out. The bad news is the nut may be 18” deep and you have to remove the nut to be successful. The other way takes a little time. Plan on not planting a fall crop. In August or September remove all the plants from the garden. Spread about ten pounds of molasses for every 100 square feet of dirt and work it in just a little. Next, cover the entire garden with two sheets of newspaper (the black & white sheets). Then spread the mulch (cedar mulch or hardwood mulch) of your choice over the newspaper an inch or so thick. In late February start working your garden as normal. What we have just done is to compost the entire garden. We (my dad and I) killed about 90% of the nutsedge on the first garden we tried this process on.

Fleas like temperatures below 95°F with humidity above 50%. As usual, it’s better to prevent them than to remove them. Fleas are brought in by urban wildlife like rabbits, rats, squirrels, raccoons, etc. If you feed the bird you’re also feeding the critters (with the fleas!!) that visit the bird feeders. So, if you have a flea problem and feed the birds, stop feeding for a month or so to get the problem under control.

If you have fleas, treat the yard and your pets, see the section “Fleas on the dog/cat”.  You need to treat both the yard, the pet and the house within a 24 hour period. When fighting fleas it is all about breaking the life cycle. There are a bunch of all-natural and synthetic products to choose from. Most products will take more than one application, 5 to 10 days apart to break that life cycle.

Our number one product for outdoor flea control is sulfur, but remember it is a repellant, not a killer. There are two types of sulfur, powder and granulated. Application rates vary but the following have worked well for me. Use 10# to 15# of granulated sulfur to cover a 1,000 square feet and should be reapplied every 10 to 14 days depending on the weather. Five pounds of powdered sulfur will cover about 1,500 square feet and should be repeated weekly.

The all-natural product called Yardsafe from the folks at Cedarcide is a high concentration cedar oil product in a ready to use quart that will cover about 2,000 square feet for the initial application. Repeat application in 5 to 10 days. This will kill the existing fleas and has a good residual for several days afterward depending on the weather.

There are also quite a few choices on the chemical side in both liquid and granulated. A good rule of thumb is to pick products with an active ingredient that ends with the suffix, “thrin”. Some of the most common are bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, permethrin and my favorite product, lambda-cyhalothrin, is the active ingredient in Cyonara. This quart attaches to the hose and will cover about 8,000 square feet. As always please read and follow all label direction.