What is Yellow Nutsedge and How Do I Control It?

Kill yellow nutsedge in just 2 steps.

Don't let its silly name fool you. Yellow nutsedge doesn't play around. It's a perennial, grass-like lawn weed. Although it's sometimes called nutgrass, it's not technically a grass. It's a sedge. Its leaves are grasslike and yellow-green, and the spiky flower or seed head is yellow.

Yellow nutsedge can be distinguished from good grasses by its V-shaped stem. The best way to identify it? If you've mowed and a day or two later you see yellowy grass growing higher than your lawn, then yellow nutsedge is the culprit. It's a tough weed to control because its tubers (also known as "nutlets"—cute, huh?) can grow 8-14 inches deep in the soil

YELLOW NUTSEDGE PREFERS MOIST SOIL, BUT DOES JUST FINE IN DRY SOIL

Its tubers sprout new plantlets in late-spring through mid-summer. Individual nutsedge plants may eventually form patches of 10 feet or more in diameter. Clearly, it's one tough weed.

BATTLING NUTSEDGE: 2 STEPS TO VICTORY

1. Mow smarter

Depending on your turf type and elevation, you can help control yellow nutsedge by mowing your lawn at the proper height, which in most cases is one of the two highest settings on your mower. This lets the grass crowd out yellow nutsedge and other weeds. Yellow nutsedge loves it

when you mow on a short setting.

2. Show it who's boss

Early summer is the perfect time to apply Roundup® For Lawns. It's going to take two applications if the yellow nutsedge is three to six inches tall. Apply the second round 14 days after the first one.

THE KEY TO KILLING YELLOW NUTSEDGE

Keep an eye out for early signs of yellow nutsedge during spring and early summer. Treating it before it has time to grow deep roots and start spreading underground will give you the upper hand.

Even though Roundup® For Lawns will start working right away, visible results may take a little bit longer when compared to what you'd see when treating patio or driveway weeds. After all, yellow nutsedge can develop very deep roots. But don't worry – your patience will be rewarded!