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Yellow Nutsedge
Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) is a common weed found in many home lawns and is also known as yellow nutgrass. The color, growth habit, and rapid growth rate make yellow nutsedge a prominent distraction in the aesthetics of high quality lawns.
Yellow nutsedge is a warm season perennial plant. The above ground foliage does not survive cold winters. However, as soils warm during the late spring and early summer period, germination of tubers and seed produced by plants from previous years are capable of producing new yellow nutsedge plants. Heavy infestations of this weed in lawns and other turfgrass areas usually become readily apparent in July and August.
Early detection is crucial. Luckily, yellow nutsedge is fairly easy to identify. It grows 6" to 2-1/2' tall. Stems are erect, triangular-shaped and yellow-green in color. Most of the leaves grow from the base of the stem. Leaves are produced in groups of three. They are linear, have a prominent midrib and waxy covering, and taper to a point. Flowers are yellowish-brown and look like a series of spikes.
The plants have branched fibrous roots. Reproduction is primarily by the popcorn kernel-sized tubers that can remain viable for 10 or more years. It also produces seeds.
Control is difficult and should be started as soon as plants are discovered. One-shot weed control will not work, and multiple applications will be necessary. Traditional annual grass weed or broadleaf weed control products will not control yellow nutsedge. Specific herbicides are required for control. Herbicides are most effective on young, actively growing plants. Hand pulling young weeds can help, but this must be done repeatedly because tubers and nutlets often break off and remain underground.
The tubers develop rapidly 6 - 8 weeks after emergence and grow quickly during July and August reaching up to 4/5" in length. New plants emerge from tubers from late May to mid-July. These tubers can persist for many years in soil.
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