If one patch of your lawn always seems to grow faster than the rest, chances are you’ve met nutsedge weed. This fast-spreading impostor loves moisture, resists most DIY fixes and has a talent for showing up right after you mow. Once it gets a foothold, it can quickly spread across your yard.
The good news? With the right approach, you can control nutsedge in your lawn and restore the healthy, uniform turf you want.
Nutsedge is a perennial sedge, not a true grass, with a distinct triangular stem that spreads aggressively through underground tubers known as nutlets. These nutlets act as storage organs, allowing the nutsedge weed to survive harsh conditions and return year after year, even after mowing or pulling. Because each plant can produce multiple nutlets, a small infestation can quickly turn into a widespread lawn problem.
Nutsedge spreads in three main ways:
This underground network makes nutsedge weed especially hard to eliminate with surface-level treatments alone.
Nutsedge thrives in:
Nutsedge can also grow in dry, well-drained soil if turfgrass is thin and competition is limited. It typically appears after the last frost in spring and becomes most noticeable during the heat of summer.
While both types are damaging, knowing which variety you have helps determine the most effective control strategy.
Nutsedge weed is often mistaken for grass, but there are a few clear differences you’ll see:
As a general guide, if you notice bright green clumps quickly outpacing your lawn, it’s likely nutsedge.
Nutsedge spreads rapidly and competes directly with your grass for nutrients, water and space. Over time, it can:
Because nutlets can remain dormant underground for months, infestations often return year after year without proper control.
Effective nutsedge weed control requires a combination of prevention, proper lawn care and targeted treatment.
Preventing nutsedge begins with creating a thick, healthy lawn with these regular maintenance tasks:
A strong lawn helps crowd out nutsedge and limits its ability to spread.
Pro Tip: Don’t pull nutsedge by hand. Pulling often leaves nutlets behind, which leads to even more growth.
Once nutsedge is established, standard weed killers and hand removal are usually ineffective. Professional-grade, targeted treatments are required to reach the underground tubers.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for proper nutsedge treatment:
Confirm that you’re dealing with nutsedge weed and not another grassy weed by checking for triangular stems and rapid regrowth.
Allow the weed enough leaf surface so the treatment can be properly absorbed.
Specialized herbicides are designed to move through the plant and into the underground tubers to stop regrowth at the source. This should be done as soon as the nutsedge is visible.
Avoid mowing for several days after treatment to allow the product to fully circulate through the plant.
Because dormant nutlets may sprout later, multiple treatments across the growing season are often required for complete control.
Nutsedge weed is one of the hardest lawn weeds to control without professional help because of its unique growth system. TruGreen’s certified lawn care specialists use proven treatments designed to target both visible growth and underground nutlets for long-term results.
Learn more about TruGreen’s professional weed control services or explore our full range of lawn care and maintenance programs to protect your lawn year-round.
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