Kelly Jackson
Christian County Extension Office
Nutsedge is difficult to control and sticks out like a sore thumb in well maintained turf areas. It grows in full sun and prefers moist areas of lawns, vegetable gardens, and landscape beds. The leaves of yellow nutsedge are light green to yellowish in color, wide (up to 1/2”) with a thick mid-vein and a very waxy covering. Most of the leaves grow from the base of the stem in groups of three. When left to grow, it can reach between 6 inches to 2 1/2 feet tall depending on conditions.
I find the easiest way to distinguish yellow nutsedge from grasses is the triangular shape of the stem. Roll the stem of the plant in your fingers; you should be able to feel the three sides of the triangle. In a lawn situation, a healthy, dense, vigorous stand of turf can compete with yellow nutsedge. This is achieved by mowing at the proper height, providing fertilizer in the right season and adjusting the pH as indicated by a soil test. When this is done correctly only a few weeds may be present, in which case, hand pulling will be the best way to eradicate this pest. While nutsedge plants are young, try to pull both plant and the root system; this is usually easier after a rain. Breaking off the plants at the surface will allow re-growth and tuber development to continue. Hand pulling is also the best method when dealing with only a few weeds in landscape beds or vegetable gardens.
Check the areas for re-growth periodically and pull weeds on a regular basis. When large patches of nutsedge are present, treatment with a post-emergence herbicide may be the only option. Homeowners have three products available that will control yellow nutsedge in lawns and a few of these products will also control nutsedge around selected ornamentals. Products available for control include MSMA, Basagran also called Sedge Hammer; and Manage.
Be sure to read and follow the label as hot temperatures may limit these products use. Nutsedge is a persistent weed that will return year after year. Its color and rapid growth habit make it incompatible with a desirable lawn. Work to suppress this weed by maintaining a healthy lawn and treating with the products above when plants are most susceptible.
