[USCC] nutgrass

[Chaney, Rufus]

Dear Jennifer and Listserve:

Nutgrass usually reproduces from storage tubers or "nuts" at the end of
reproductive rhizomes. As soon as they are detached from the mother
plant they can germinate. So if you got an infestation of nutgrass from
compost, it would have had to been growing on a cured pile of compost,
or a pile that did not heat properly. The normal heat of composting is
more than enough to kill these "nuts". Although they do produce seed,
that is a less common mode of reproduction as far as I know. Even in
that case, it is improperly storage conditions that allow weed seeds to
fall onto the storage pile that would allow a compost to be come a
source of nutsedge.

There are herbicides than can control nutsedge, but it is a serious
problem, I agree. By far wiser to prevent the source from contaminating
compost. Check with your source and try to figure out what went wrong
that the compost became contaminated. And insist that the product be
protected from seed or plant reproductive organ contamination.

Regards,

Rufus Chaney
Beltsville, MD

-----Original Message-----
From: compost-bounces at mailman.cloudnet.com
[mailto:compost-bounces at mailman.cloudnet.com] On Behalf Of Jennifer
Maxwell
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 10:48 AM
To: 'Compost Discussion List'
Subject: [USCC] nutgrass

Hello everyone. I was just curious if anyone has ever noticed a large
problem with nutgrass following landscape application of finished
compost.
We operate a type III facility here at App State and when our finished
product has been utilized on campus, there have been large amounts of
nutgrass showing up. 

Any suggestions for getting rid of this nutgrass? I know it is a bear to
deal with...

Jennifer Maxwell
Resource Conservation Manager
Appalachian State University
828-262-3190 x108
maxwelljb at appstate.edu