Nutsedge is often confused for grass, but it’s actually a persistent lawn weed. It commonly sprouts when the weather turns warm, spreads fast, and requires specialized weed control and prevention to eliminate. With a deep root system and rapid growth rate, nutsedge can quickly crowd out healthy grass and weaken your lawn. Learning how to detect and manage this weed is the key to maintaining a healthy yard.
How to Identify and Prevent Nutsedge
Nutsedge is identifiable by its yellow-green grassy leaves. If left unchecked it will develop a yellow or purple spiky seed head. Nutsedge is among the toughest weeds to control because it grows from small tubers or nutlets (a small nut). These nutlets form on roots that are between 8–14 inches below the soil’s surface. Accordingly, even if you pull out sedge by the roots, you will leave nutlets behind to begin the growing process all over again.
It’s important to understand that nutsedge is truly not a grass or a broad-leafed weed; it’s literally a sedge. Sedge weeds come in many varieties, and it’s necessary to determine which one is invading your lawn so the infestation can be effectively controlled. But not only does it look like grass, nutsedge resists traditional broadleaf herbicides. In fact, in hot weather it grows faster than grass and can muscle in on your lawn, taking over and creating chaos.
Combating Yellow Nutsedge in North Texas Lawns
In North Texas, yellow nutsedge is the most common kind of nutsedge we encounter. Sometimes called nut grass, nutsedge is a perennial weed that loves water. It seeks out the most poorly drained area of your lawn and takes root. When the weather turns hot, since nutsedge growth can outpace your grass, it can eventually overtake even the healthiest of lawns.
Setting your lawn mower blades to a higher setting – one of the two highest points – can help keep sedge from spreading. Taller grass makes for a healthier lawn and allows your grass to crowd out sedge before it gets started. Mowing short can actually increase nutsedge growth. And because it’s so attracted to wet ground, overwatering also encourages nutsedge to grow. Maintaining healthy grass through lawn fertilization can also help prevent a nutsedge takeover.
Often, these changes are enough to bring a sedge weed problem under control. However, if the weed has taken root, establishing itself and becoming too widespread for you to handle with those treatments, you’ll need to call in a lawn professional who can apply the appropriate herbicides that are specifically designed for sedge weed control. Partnering with a reputable and experienced professional weed control and prevention service will help combat existing nutsedge and prevent future outbreaks. Keep in mind that not every commercially available weed-control product will be active against sedge weeds—another reason why severe cases require professional help.
Stop Nutsedge From Coming Back With Professional Lawn Care
If your North Texas lawn is suffering from invading nutsedge, and you’re watching in frustration as it overtakes your lawn despite your efforts to control it, then it’s time to call your lawn care professional. To prevent weed spread, a knowledgeable and experienced nutsedge treatment service will use specialized solutions designed for North Texas lawns.
Take Control of Nutsedge Before It Takes Over Your North Texas Lawn
Nutsedge is an aggressive, rapidly spreading weed that can overwhelm the healthiest lawn. Attempting to manage this invasive weed on your own can be time-consuming and often feel downright impossible. For effective results, skip the do-it-yourself approach and contact Green Top Lawn Care. Call (817) 684-4044 and request a free nutsedge treatment quote today.
