Yellow nutsedge

Biological Name:

Cyperus spp. (Yellow-nutsedge)

Natural Habitat:

Yellow-nutsedge is a type of plant that can grow in a variety of habitats, including fields, gardens, and wetlands. It is often found in temperate regions of the world, including parts of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Description:

Yellow-nutsedge is a perennial grass that is native to North America. It has long narrow leaves and small yellow flowers. It is often found in wetland areas and is a common weed in agricultural fields.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How do you get rid of yellow nutsedge?
A: You can control nutsedge in your lawn by applying Ortho® Nutsedge Killer Ready-To-Spray. It’s effective against newly emerged and established sedges. The weed is yellowed in 1-2 days, and complete kill occurs in 2- 3 weeks. It can be used on Northern and Southern turf grasses and is rainproof in 2 hours.
Source

Q: How can I stop getting nutsedge?
A: Mowing short stimulates nutsedge. You can help prevent nutsedge by regularly feeding your lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food. A healthy, maintained lawn is the first defense against nutsedge. A well-fed lawn grows thick and is better able to crowd out weeds.
Source

Q: What do you spray on yellow nutsedge?
A: The only nonselective postemergent herbicide currently available to help control nutsedge in the home landscape is glyphosate (e.g. Roundup) or glyphosate with nonaoic acid (Roundup Plus). This herbicide requires repeated applications, and its use will result only in limited suppression of these weeds.
Source

Q: What causes nutsedge to grow?
A: Nutsedge is most problematic in lawns that have poor drainage or stay wet too long. This could be from overwatering with a sprinkler system, a lot of rain, or a combination of both. The best way to minimize nutsedge is to grow and maintain dense and healthy turf to outcompete nutsedge for space, food, and moisture.
Source

Q: What product kills nutsedge?
A: Sulfentrazone: Sulfentrazone (one of the active ingredients in Gordon’s Trimec Nutsedge Plus Lawn Weed Killer, Ortho Nutsedge Killer for Lawns RTS, and Blindside Herbicide is faster acting on nutsedges, but may require a second application 30 days later.
Source

Q: Why should you not pull nutsedge?
A: Pulling nutsedge will increase the number of plants because dormant tubers are activated. However, it is possible to control small stands of nutsedge by persistent pulling. Pulling will eventually weaken the plants and cause them to die out. Herbicide treatments are the best way of controlling this pesky weed.
Source

Q: How did my lawn get nutsedge?
A: Nutsedge is most problematic in lawns that have poor drainage or stay wet too long. This could be from overwatering with a sprinkler system, a lot of rain, or a combination of both. The best way to minimize nutsedge is to grow and maintain dense and healthy turf to outcompete nutsedge for space, food, and moisture.
Source

Q: Will grass choke out nutsedge?
A: Keeping your lawn healthy, such as mowing at the right height and fertilizing, will allow your grass to have a better chance to choke out the nutsedge. Because the nutlets are difficult to remove, you may also use a nutsedge killer to help eliminate this weed.
Source

Q: Is there a difference between nutsedge and yellow nutsedge?
A: The sedge weeds leaves aren’t the only difference in color: the seed head for Yellow nutsedge is yellowish-brown as compared to the purple to reddish-brown color found in Purple nutsedge weed.
Source

Q: How can I stop getting nutsedge?
A: Prevention and Maintenance Mowing short stimulates nutsedge. You can help prevent nutsedge by regularly feeding your lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food. A healthy, maintained lawn is the first defense against nutsedge. A well-fed lawn grows thick and is better able to crowd out weeds.
Source

Q: Will nutsedge take over grass?
A: Nutsedge grows very quickly, and the weed takes root very deep into the soil. Nut Grass spreads via small tubers, rhizomes, or by seed, meaning it can spread across your lawn in a number of ways. It’s also a perennial weed which will over-winter and come back again and again if you don’t address it.
Source

Q: Is yellow nutsedge poisonous?
A: While this rather invasive plant has caused many a groan from gardeners, it has one redeeming quality: nutsedge is edible. Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus), sometimes called Earth almond or Chufa, has tuberous roots that can be eaten raw or cooked.
Source

Q: Is there a natural way to get rid of nutsedge?
A: The best way to start to eliminate Nutsedge organically is to eliminate the conditions that are causing it to thrive, which are moist and compacted soil. It’s possible that you might need to physically put drain pipes in your lawn to help with congested water.
Source

Q: Is yellow nutsedge the same as crabgrass?
A: Nutsedge is a perennial that tends to prefer moist areas of the lawn. Crabgrass, on the other hand, is an annual grassy weed and will pop up in compacted areas where grass doesn’t grow well.
Source

Q: Can you get rid of nutgrass by pulling it out?
A: More videos on YouTube Its leaves are grasslike and yellow-green, while the spiky head is purple or yellow. It’s a tough weed to control because it grows from tiny tubers, or nutlets, that form on roots that can grow 8-14 inches deep in the soil. Pull out the roots and some tubers will stay behind to grow.
Source

Q: Does nutsedge come back every year?
A: Also known as nutgrass, nutsedges often escape control because they’re not like weed grasses or broadleaf weeds targeted by most weed killers. These perennial weeds are sedges that come back year after year and reproduce in ways that complicate their control.
Source

Q: What is nutsedge good for?
A: Purple nut sedge is an antioxidant. It might reduce blood sugar and prevent the growth of certain bacteria, including the type that causes dental cavities. Purple nut sedge might also help break down fat to increase weight loss.
Source

Q: What herbicide will control yellow nutsedge in a lawn?
A: Herbicides that contain halosulfuron (Figure 6) or sulfentrazone (Figure 7) are recommended for yellow nutsedge control. Regardless of herbicide selection, yellow nut- sedge is a difficult-to-control weed that may require multiple herbicide applications.
Source

About the author

Samuel is a gardening professional and enthusiast who has spent over 20 years advising homeowners and farm owners on weed identification, prevention and removal. He has an undergraduate degree in plant and soil science from Michigan State University.