Pest identification
What's eating my blue sedge?
Slugs and snails
Signs: Ragged chewing on leaf tips and edges in spring and autumn; particularly affects young plants getting established
Control: Iron phosphate pellets or nematode drench (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) in moist soil; gritty mulch around crowns
Leatherjackets (Tipula spp. larvae)
Signs: Root and crown feeding underground causes yellowing patches and plants pulling up easily with no root system
Control: Apply Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes to moist soil in late summer; encourage starlings which forage for larvae
Keep blue sedge pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Blue sedge pests — FAQ
What is eating my blue sedge?
Blue sedge (Carex flacca) is a tough, low-maintenance ground-cover sedge with minimal pest problems. Slugs are the primary nuisance, grazing leaf tips in wet weather. Leatherjackets (crane-fly larvae) may nibble roots in lawns. In grassland settings, rabbits will graze it but established clumps tolerate this well.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on blue sedge?
Ragged chewing on leaf tips and edges in spring and autumn; particularly affects young plants getting established Iron phosphate pellets or nematode drench (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) in moist soil; gritty mulch around crowns
How do I get rid of leatherjackets (tipula spp. larvae) on blue sedge?
Root and crown feeding underground causes yellowing patches and plants pulling up easily with no root system Apply Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes to moist soil in late summer; encourage starlings which forage for larvae