What Weed is it Wednesday!?
Nutgrass (Botanical name: Cyperus rotundus)
- Commonly referred to as the “world’s worst weed”. Nutgrass belongs to the Sedge weed family. It is easily identifiable with its 3 blades of grass and triangular stem (turfgrass has a circular stem). Often a lighter shade of green than the rest of the lawn and tends to grow much taller. So easily noticed after mowing as it can sprout up quite quickly!
- The name Nutgrass is derived from the nutlike tubers found underneath the soil on the roots. These tubers make manually weeding nutgrass virtually impossible. Pulling the nutgrass out by hand can be done if the plant is very small before nuts develop. If you have nutgrass infiltrating your lawn it is best to act quickly as it spreads rapidly. It is difficult to eradicate due to these tubers as they can remain active in the soil (often 6-12 inches below the surface) for long periods of time. A disruption of soil, the addition of nutrients or water can cause a dormant nut within the soil to spring back to life. It seeds from summer to Autumn
- If left untreated it will spread quickly and infest your entire lawn. A selective herbicide like Sedgehammer (Available for sale at Turfworks Lawn Shop) will treat nutgrass without affecting the rest of your lawn. Sedgehammer is much better than contact herbicides as it will infiltrate the system reaching into the tubers. Remember to always follow the manufacturers instructions on the pack.
Contact us today at Turfworks to talk to the friendly staff of our Lawn shop about your lawn needs.
