How to Control & Kill Nutsedge or Nutgrass

This aggressive weed looks like pale grass.

Nutsedge Defined

Nutsedge is a perennial, grass-like lawn weed that is lighter green and grows faster in hot weather than our lawns. It prefers moist soil but will thrive even in dry soil. It can be distinguished from grasses by its V-shaped stem. Nutsedge produces tubers, called "nutlets" and rhizomes below ground that sprout new plantlets in late-spring through mid-summer. Individual nutsedge plants may eventually form patches of 10 feet or more in diameter.

Overview

This Grassy weed Is Not Technically a Grass; It's a Sedge and Is Very Difficult to ControlNutsedge, also known as nutgrass, seeks out the moist, poorly drained sections of your yard. 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 and can grow 8-14 inches deep in the soil.

Prevention and Maintenance

Mow High to Help Control Nutsedge

Depending on your turf type and latitude, you can help control nutsedge or nutgrass by changing the way you mow. Mowing your lawn at the proper height, which in most cases is one of the 2 highest settings on your mower, lets the grass crowd out nutsedge and other weeds. Mowing short stimulates nutsedge.

Kill Nutsedge in Your Lawn

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.

Kill Nutsedge Outside Your Lawn

Use Ortho® GroundClear® Super Weed & Grass Killer to kill nutsedge quickly—and for good—in landscape beds and hardscapes. The formula is designed to get rid of nutsedge, and 174 other types of weeds, roots and all.