Nutsedge: The Tall Light Green Weed That Grows in your Lawn

All of us have heard the famous phrase “growing like a weed” at least once in our life. Unfortunately, it is with great certainty that we can say that this saying is based on the weed that goes by the name of Nutsedge, Nutgrass, or Watergrass. This weed tends grows rather quickly, as well as taller than an average turf grass. This is exactly why it is so annoying, as it is an eyesore for the homeowners who wish to have an impeccable lawn in their backyards.

What is Nutsedge?

Nutsedge is a grass-like weed. It belongs to the family of sedges. It can easily be identified by the triangular blades, which people often describe as being lime or bright green. Their root system is made out of multiple fibers known as rhizomes, which produce tubulars. Each tuber is capable of producing a completely new plant. This is why it is important never to pull it out.

This weed is one of the most difficult weeds to control, some would argue that it is the most difficult. Unlike the crabgrass, you cannot prevent nutsedge by using pre-emergent. It is also not at all affected by a previous weed control herbicide. It is only treated when it emerges, and this often causes major problems with the timing of lawn care applications.

Suppressing Nutsedge

With herbicide treatments, most products currently on the market merely suppress the growth of this weed, never truly killing or eradicating it. If it seems like your herbicide has killed the plant, only that particular plant is dead, but the entire elaborate root system. Not even the plant producing tubulars under the surface are killed. This is why it is so hard to make it go away fully. The suppressing of nutsedge by using herbicides requires multiple applications, just keep in mind that it never gets to the root of the problem, no pun intended.

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Killing Nutsedge

There are actually not a lot of options left when completely killing nutsedge is concerned. One way to go is using a nonselective herbicide, like round up for example. This will however, not only kill the nutsedge, but the turf grass as well. Due to this fact, this measure is far better with landscape beds instead of regular lawns. The second option is researching and hiring a lawn care company, which uses some of the newer products that have just entered the market, capable of truly killing the nutsedge.

Preventing Nutsedge

The nutsedge weed tends to thrive in damp and humid weather. Also, it prefers sunshine over shade. It almost never grows in shaded areas. The first areas of concern in your lawn should be those with standing water or poor drainage, so you can predict at least a little where the nutsedge will first attack your precious lawn. If you have proper drainage, you have an ideal weapon in the fight against the nutsedge weed.

Nutsedge
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Other than a proper drainage system, thicker lawns mean less room for the weed to grow. Yearly aerate and seed, as it is highly recommended to always fill in spots that are bare, or those spots where weeds were previously. This measure will help you keep nutsedge in order, as well as prevent other annoying weeds from sprouting in your lawn.

Conclusion

When you mow the lawn next time during summer season, and see nutsedge weed that is twice talled than the rest of your grass, stop and think about what is going on in that particular area of the lawn. Check it for any standing water or drainage issues, as well as potential thin spots in the lawn.

Also, consider consulting with a lawn care professional if you have been or currently are experiencing weed problems of the sort, and ask them for advice. You can also ask friends and family and research online for other people’s experiences in the fight against the nutsedge weed.