Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

A forum to learn and discuss the importance of lawn care basics
Post Reply
johnklongisland1
Posts: 3
Joined: July 24th, 2020, 12:22 pm
Location: Long island New York
Grass Type: i dont know
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by johnklongisland1 » July 24th, 2020, 3:28 pm

So i think i take care of my lawn , i fertilize , water , etc but it hates me.. I keep trying but today i decided to Register on this site and need pointers.. What am i exactly dealing with here & How do i fix it ? I'm on Long Island NY pics are from today.. If this is a weed then i guess i'd need to wipe out most of my front lawn and start from scratch



Image

Image
Image

User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
Level: Advanced

Re: Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by andy10917 » July 24th, 2020, 4:08 pm

Dig one of them up (don't pull it) and tell us if it has a little bulb/nutlet just below the soil level. Then roll the lowest part of the stem with your fingers and see if it feels triangular. Post the answers.

schreibdave
Posts: 1123
Joined: April 14th, 2010, 7:01 pm
Location: Syracuse, NY
Grass Type: Bewitched, Award and Rhapsody
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by schreibdave » July 25th, 2020, 6:29 am

andy10917 wrote:
July 24th, 2020, 4:08 pm
Dig one of them up (don't pull it) and tell us if it has a little bulb/nutlet just below the soil level. Then roll the lowest part of the stem with your fingers and see if it feels triangular. Post the answers.
Yea, my guess is a sedge.

User avatar
ken-n-nancy
Posts: 2571
Joined: July 17th, 2014, 3:58 pm
Location: Bedford, NH
Grass Type: Front: KBG (Bewitched+Prosperity); Side: Bewitched KBG; Back: Fine Fescue Blend + Prosperity
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by ken-n-nancy » July 25th, 2020, 8:20 am

johnklongisland1 wrote:
July 24th, 2020, 3:28 pm
Image
That looks like yellow nutsedge to me.

However, the definitive way to identify nutsedge is the triangular stem, just above the roots and before the leaves all separate from the stem. You can feel this by rolling the stem in your fingers or by cutting a cross-section of the stem. See the photo below for a cut cross-section of the stem. (Photo from the nutsedge page at Michigan State University: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/yellow_nutsedge)

Image

If it is nutsedge, I have two suggestions:
1 - Read the Purdue publication on Yellow Nutsedge Control: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmed ... y-19-w.pdf
2 - Per the table in the above publication, use a product with the active ingredient of sulfentrazone and apply according to label directions.

Note that there is probably a minimum time to wait before re-seeding most cool season grasses after using a product with sulfentrazone.

Lone nutsedge plants here and there are easiest dealt with by hand-pulling, but it looks like you'll probably have quite a bank of nutlets in the soil, so it will be a while before you're to the point where hand pulling will be quick.

johnklongisland1
Posts: 3
Joined: July 24th, 2020, 12:22 pm
Location: Long island New York
Grass Type: i dont know
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by johnklongisland1 » July 25th, 2020, 8:55 am

Yes that's it! I read the article and will move forward with thwarting it. I just need to be patient. Thank you very much for the input guys !


schreibdave
Posts: 1123
Joined: April 14th, 2010, 7:01 pm
Location: Syracuse, NY
Grass Type: Bewitched, Award and Rhapsody
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by schreibdave » July 25th, 2020, 10:35 am

I had good luck hand pulling nutsedge in a newly seeded area. But it depends how much you have and how strong your back is.

pristinegreen75
Posts: 195
Joined: March 25th, 2020, 1:41 pm
Location: s. plainfield NJ, central nj
Grass Type: Bluegrass in back, Northern mix in front
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Experienced

Re: Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by pristinegreen75 » July 25th, 2020, 11:04 am

That is nutsedge- I had exact same thing pop up in my lawn a couple of weeks ago. Not to much just here and there. I pulled most of it but started to have it start to come up again near by. ( I assume bublets). Picked up a bottle of Ortho Nutsedge Killer to spot spray. It's working out well.

User avatar
Dchall_San_Antonio
Posts: 3339
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 1:53 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Grass Type: St Augustine
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » July 25th, 2020, 6:27 pm

In the mean time, nutsedge is a swamp loving plant. Are you, perchance, watering every day? I water once in awhile (weekly or less often). I have nutgrass everywhere, but it goes away with "normal" infrequent watering. My wife likes to get out every day and water her flowers, so there's nutgrass in her favorite spots, but the lawn is free of it except during multiday rain events.

johnklongisland1
Posts: 3
Joined: July 24th, 2020, 12:22 pm
Location: Long island New York
Grass Type: i dont know
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Help ! This has taken over my front lawn

Post by johnklongisland1 » July 26th, 2020, 9:40 am

Thank you Everyone with your input

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests