The Trouble with Nutsedge
Nutsedge is terrible news when it crops up in your lawn. Usually, it looks like grass, but don’t be fooled. This is an invasive weed that’s hard to control. It muscles in on your lawn, taking over and creating chaos.
Nutsedge in Texas
If you live in Texas, then your lawn is prone to nutsedge. Be on the lookout, and call the pros to learn how to control this problem. Sedge weeds come in many varieties. Determining precisely which one is invading your lawn is essential if you want to get a handle on the situation. Yellow nutsedge is the most common variety found in Texas lawns.
Identifying Nutsedge
Sometimes called nutgrass or just sedge, this perennial weed looks like grass. It seeks the moist areas of your lawn that are poorly drained. When the weather turns hot, nutsedge grows faster than your grass, making it stick out like a sore thumb. Nutsedge is identifiable by its yellow-green leaves.
Growth and Appearance
Also, it grows faster than some Bermuda grass varieties, so it may be higher than the grass between mowings. If left to grow uncontrolled, it will develop a spiky head that may be yellow or purple. Sedge weeds are especially challenging to control because they grow from tiny tubers, often called nutlets.
The Challenge of Controlling Nutsedge
These nutlets form on roots between eight and 14 inches below the soil’s surface. Accordingly, even if you can pull out sedge by the roots, you will leave nutlets behind to begin the growing process all over again. Setting your lawn mower blades higher can help keep nutsedge from taking root.
Cultural Practices for Sedge Control
This makes your grass healthier and enables it to crowd out sedge before it starts. Regularly feeding your lawn with a well-balanced fertilizer is possible to make it even harder for the sedge to get established. Sometimes, these cultural changes are enough to control a sedge weed problem.
When to Call the Experts
However, sometimes the problem is too widespread to handle by these measures. When this is the case, it is advisable to call in the experts with access to the right herbicides designed for sedge weed control. It’s vital to understand that not every commercially available weed-control product will be active against sedge weeds.
Professional Help for Sedge Problems
It’s best to leave these problems to the professionals. If you are dealing with sedge in your Keller, Euless, Grapevine, Arlington, or Bedford lawn, call us at 817-684-4044.