The Best Nutsedge Weed Killers

Need help to get rid of nutsedge weed in your lawn? You're in the right place. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to spot which type of nutsedge you’re dealing with and walk you through the two best products to knock it out. There are a lot of herbicides out there, but we’ve done the testing and narrowed it down to the ones that actually work.

What Is Nutsedge?

Nutsedge, often referred to as nutgrass, is an aggressive perennial weed that invades lawns across America. It thrives in warm temperatures and moist, poorly drained soils. That makes it a regular nuisance in Southern states like Georgia, the Carolinas, Florida, and Texas. You’ll usually see it pop up from late spring into early fall, and once it’s in, it doesn’t like to leave. Nutsedge grows in dense colonies and builds a tough underground root system, which is why it takes more than just mowing to get it under control.

Nutsedge has shiny, smooth leaves with a distinct center rib, forming a "V" shape. The stems are triangular, and the plant produces spiky flower clusters — yellow-brown for yellow nutsedge and purple-brown for purple nutsedge.

What Are The Different Types Of Nutsedge?

There are a few different types of nutsedge out there, but the two you're most likely to run into are yellow nutsedge and purple nutsedge. There's also a close cousin called green kyllinga. It might look like nutsedge at first glance, but the good news is it’s usually easier to get rid of. Unlike nutsedge, kyllinga doesn’t have that aggressive underground root system working against you. Some folks call it “green nutsedge,” but technically, nutsedge and kyllinga are part of the sedge family. These grass-like plants become a real problem when they start creeping into your lawn or golf turf.

Purple Nutsedge

Purple nutsedge has darker green leaves and reddish-purple flower spikes. It often appears in late summer and is considered more aggressive than its yellow counterpart. It has been nicknamed the world’s worst weed. The flowers are spiky, and the whole weed usually stands well above the turf.

Yellow Nutsedge

Yellow nutsedge looks just like purple nutsedge except for the yellow flowers and light green leaves. It is cultivated in different parts of the world as the tubers can be eaten. Yellow nutsedge tends to thrive in early to midsummer and prefers sunny, wet areas.

Related reading: Killing Kyllinga: How to Get Rid of This Pesky
Sedge Weed in Your Lawn

Nutsedge Identification Guide

Identifying nutsedge in your lawn is crucial for effective treatment. Unlike typical grass, nutsedge has distinctive features that make it stand out. So, if you are unsure if you have nutsedge in your lawn, here's how you can identify it and differentiate it from other plants:

Key Characteristics of Nutsedge

1. Stem shape and texture

• One of the easiest ways to ID nutsedge is by its stem. Unlike regular grass, nutsedge has a solid, triangular-shaped stem — a unique feature you can actually feel. Just roll it between your fingers, and you’ll notice the difference right away. Most grasses have hollow, round stems, but nutsedge stands out with its firm, three-sided structure.

2. Leaf appearance

• Nutsedge leaves might look like grass at first, but they’ve got some standout features. They’re usually thicker, stiffer, and grow in sets of three from the base — a pattern called “three-ranked” or a "tristichous" leaf arrangement.

• You’ll also notice they’re a brighter green than your turf and have a slick, almost waxy shine that makes them pop against the rest of your lawn.

3. Growth habit

• It shoots up more upright than most grasses, often standing out due to its height. It can grow much faster than the surrounding grass, leading to noticeable patches.

• It spreads through underground tubers (called nutlets) and rhizomes, forming dense colonies.

4. Flowers and seed heads

• Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus): This type produces yellowish-brown spikelets that form a cluster on top of the stem. The seed heads resemble a small, spiky umbrella.

• Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus): It has reddish-purple to brown spikelets arranged in a cluster at the top. This variety is often considered more aggressive and harder to eradicate.

• Green kyllinga (Kyllinga brevifolia): Sometimes mistaken for nutsedge, green kyllinga has a round, green, burr-like seed head and grows in a similar fashion.

5. Root system

• Nutsedge has a robust root system with tubers (nutlets) that are difficult to remove entirely. These tubers can survive in the soil even after the plant above ground is removed, leading to regrowth.

Related reading: What Types of Weeds Look Like Grass?

What Are the Best Weed Killers to Get Rid of Nutsedge?

Nutsedge is one of the most challenging plants to eradicate due to its extensive underground network. For that reason, selecting the right nutsedge killer is essential for effective control. We’re recommending only the best weed killers available to eliminate this aggressive weed.

Cool-Season Grasses: SedgeHammer®

Cool-season grasses thrive in extreme weather conditions: blazing hot summers and freezing winters. If your turf is Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Fine Fescue, or Creeping Bentgrass, it is a cool-season grass. SedgeHammer® is the best nutsedge weed killer for cool-season grasses.

How Does SedgeHammer® Work?

SedgeHammer® attacks the weed while leaving the rest of your plants or ornamental grasses alone. It also removes “green nutsedge” or kyllinga in addition to nutsedge. One bottle can cover an extensive range of one acre. There are no temperature restrictions for this herbicide. That said, if temperatures are above 95F, applying it in the early morning or evening is recommended.

How Is SedgeHammer® Applied?

One scoop of SedgeHammer® can be mixed in with one gallon of water and sprayed over the affected area using a backpack or handheld sprayer. Do not use a hose-end sprayer to apply SedgeHammer®. You should see results as early as two weeks from the day it's applied. It does not need to be watered in after application.

If you have an infestation of broadleaf weeds along with nutsedge, apply Tenacity herbicide with SedgeHammer® at the same time for maximum results.

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Warm-Season Grasses: Certainty Herbicide

Warm-season grasses are those that grow best in warmer climates. That means warmer states like Georgia, Florida, and southern Texas, which experience some of the warmest winters in the continental U.S. Warm-season grasses include Bermuda grass, Zoysia, St. Augustine, and Centipede grass. Certainty herbicide is the best nutsedge weed killer for warm-season grasses.

How Does Certainty Herbicide Work?

Certainty is effective against all sedges and kyllinga. It also helps you target weeds like dandelion, Johnsongrass, and Poa annua. A single application produces visible results within 7-10 days, with the weeds dying off completely in less than three weeks.

Certainty herbicide controls weeds without killing your grass. It removes many pesky weeds that commonly affect southern grasses without leaving the bare patches that killing off grassy weeds can often do. Certainty herbicide kills green nutsedge  (kyllinga) and yellow and purple nutsedge.

How Is Certainty Herbicide Applied?

Certainty herbicide is a professional formulation that should be applied with a 4-gallon backpack sprayer with a foliar spray tip. Hose-end sprayers should not be used to apply this product. Certainty does not need to be watered in after application.

certainty-herbicide-1-25-oz-sedge-and-poa-annua-control

Related: Kill Weeds and NOT Your Grass with this POTENT Combo

What Other Options Can Help Eliminate Nutsedge?

Cool-Season Grass Herbicide Kit

The Cool-Season Grass Herbicide kit comes with both SedgeHammer® and Tenacity Herbicide to address extensive nutsedge and other weeds in your lawn. This combo controls over fifty grassy and broadleaf weeds and all sedges. It comes with a surfactant and dye to improve the effectiveness of your herbicide applications. It is a cost-effective option for anyone who wants excellent weed control in cool-season lawns.

tenacity-and-sedgehammer-herbicide-kit-with-surfactant-and-dye-cool-season-grass

Warm-Season Grass Herbicide Kit

The Warm-Season Grass Herbicide kit comes with Certainty Herbicide and Celsius to control widespread weed problems in your lawn. It eliminates over 180 weed types and comes with a surfactant and dye to improve the effectiveness of your herbicide applications.

celsius-and-certainty-herbicide-kit-with-surfactant-and-dye

Related: The Best Four Products for Killing Weeds Without Killing Grass

Tips To Keep Your Lawn Nutsedge Free

Maintaining a healthy lawn is the best defense against nutsedge weed. Regular mowing, proper fertilization, and adequate irrigation can strengthen your turf, making it more competitive against weeds. However, there are a few additional tips for maintaining your lawn that can significantly help with the management of nutsedge:

• Combine your weed killer with a surfactant, as this can help to penetrate waxy leaves and better eliminate the nutsedge.

• Try to spray the affected areas when minimal wind or rain is forecasted to minimize the chance of damaging non-targeted plants. 

• Wait 2 days after application before resuming mowing to allow the herbicide adequate absorption time.

• Control nutsedge as early as possible with herbicides to prevent yellow nutsedge from seeding, as this makes it even harder to remove.

How to Get Rid of Nutsedge Naturally

It is very difficult to get rid of nutsedge naturally, but if you prefer a chemical-free approach, here are a few tips:

• Improve Drainage: Nutsedge thrives in wet conditions. Enhancing soil drainage can make your lawn less hospitable to this weed.
  

• Manual Removal: Regularly pulling out nutsedge plants to ensure you remove the entire root system can help reduce their presence.
  

• Mulching: Applying a thick layer of mulch in garden beds can suppress nutsedge growth by blocking sunlight.

Kick Nutsedge to the Curb

Nutsedge in all forms is problematic and challenging to remove. Invest in SedgeHammer® for your cool-season grasses to effectively remove purple, yellow, and kyllinga from your lawn. For the warm-season grass alternative, Certainty herbicide is the most effective option for eliminating nutsedge successfully. 

Browse our full range of weed killers and find one that works for your lawn. For more pro tips, product demos, and real-world results, check out our YouTube channel.