Why is some of my grass growing much faster than the rest of my yard? If you have asked yourself this recently, then you may be dealing with the grass-like weed known as yellow nutsedge. Yellow nutsedge, despite its appearances is not a grass at all, rather it is a member of the sedge family and it can be found throughout the region in homeowners lawns at this time of year actively growing and growing and growing and ruining the aesthetics of your turf. You can identify this weed by its yellowish green leaves, its triangular shaped stem and its rapid growth rate (generally growing 2-6″ taller than the canopy of the rest of the turf). It is the rapid growth rate, prolific reproduction and color which draws negative attention to the turf and is why, as a homeowner you want to stay on top of this weed.
Here are a few tips to keep your yard from being overrun. Fertilize regularly to maximize your lawn’s density; mow your lawn at the appropriate height (this is generally a setting or two higher than what most people set their mowers at); and make sure your lawn receives adequate water throughout the summer to stave off stress.
If you already notice nutsedge in your yard, then handpulling can be an effective means of control, however you will want to get as much of the roots up as possible when you do this otherwise the plant’s underground tubers may be able to produce more shoots. When the nutsedge is too prevalent for handpulling to be an effective means for control then it may be time to call in a licensed presticide applicator who can spray the lawn targeting the sedge specifically. This would ideally be performed in late spring when the sedge is still young and can be controlled with chemicals more readily; late summer spraying may require more than one application for satisfactory results.