Please be sure to read the product label of any insecticide you choose to use to get information on the personal protective safety gear you will need. In most situations, it is recommended that you wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, closed toe shoes with socks, chemical resistant gloves, and goggles. In areas where ventilation is poor, a manufacturer may recommend you wear a mask or a respirator. We have put together two different safety kits that will make selecting the correct safety gear easier for you.
Nutsedge, also known as nut grass, is a weed commonly found in lawns during the summer. These weeds stand taller than the grass in your lawn and are notoriously hard to get rid of given their immersive root systems. Nutsedge is a perennial sedge, meaning it is a grasslike plant that will live for at least two years and will come back year after year.
Nutsedge is easily identifiable from grass because it is taller than grass. Nutsedge grows much quicker than grass, even after being mowed.
Shape
Nutsedge weeds, like all sedges (grasslike plants), have a triangular stem that can be felt in your hands. The stem of the sedge feels like it has 3 sides or 3 points, much like a triangle.
Leaves and Flowers
Nutsedge looks like long grass blades. At the end of a nutsedge stem, you will commonly find 3 leaves and flowers. The flowers can be different colors but are most commonly yellow or purple (dark red).
Yellow nutsedge, or nutsedge with yellow flowers, often grows in the middle of the summer while purple nutsedge (nutsedge with deep red or purple flowers) grows in the late summer.
Roots
Nutsedge is typically identified by its root system. Nutsedge has roots, called rhizomes, that can reach 8-14 inches below ground. Rhizomes will grow horizontally under the soil and emerge out of the soil to form a new sedge plant. This means multiple sedges may be connected by one series of rhizomes.
The roots will also have small, starchy tuber structures (known as "nutlets") attached. If you see nutlets in the roots of the plant, you know for certain you have nutsedge.
Growth
Nutsedge weeds grow during the spring and summer and are perennial, meaning they come back year after year.
What Does Nutsedge Look Like?
In this video, we'll show you what nutsedge looks like and how you can identify it in your lawn.
Nutsedge Control Products
Read our how to get rid of nutsedge guide for more information on how and when to apply these nutsedge killers in your lawn.
