Eliminate Kyllinga Weed From Your Lawn With These Effective Management Tips

When you look out your window or step outside, you want to see grass that produces a lush green lawn while keeping invasive weeds away. But no matter your efforts, some of these pesky plants can sneak into your yard and take hold. It's especially challenging to get rid of invaders like green kyllinga weeds (Kyllinga brevifolia) when their color matches your lawn. However, it's not impossible, following a few helpful tips. Kyllinga weeds might look like yellow nutsedge, but they will wreak havoc on your grass if left unchecked.

This plant loves moist soil, thrives in the sun, and is easily identified by its triangular stems and three long, thin leaves at the top with a small green flower ball in the center. The University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources reports that a singular plant can grow over 100 flowers and produce up to 5,000 seeds per season. That's a potentially huge problem! But that's not the only worry with these weeds, as kyllinga not only spreads via seed but also creeps underground by its root system. After you've identified green kyllinga weeds in your lawn or garden, the next step is elimination. If you find just a few plants peppered throughout your lawn, you could pull them up individually using a weeding tool, trowel, or shovel — make sure to get the roots. Then, keep an eye on the areas to ensure the weed doesn't return.

If you don't catch the problem early and the perennial has spread in patches or over a wide area, using an herbicide specifically designed to kill sedge is your next step. That's because kyllinga is a member of the sedge family. Choose a product with halosulfuron-methyl as its active ingredient and thoroughly spray each weed you find when the temperatures are mild and the wind is calm. Products with imazosulfuron, sulfentrazone, pyrimisulfan, and dimethenamid-P will also work. Again, keep an eye on the area. If the plants aren't dying or if they're recovering, give them another dose of the spray. Be sure to follow the directions on the product label, wear protective gear, and keep children and pets out of the area.

Once you've eliminated the problem, keep kyllinga out of your yard by making your outdoor space as healthy as possible. Keep your trees and shrubs trimmed, rake any leaves that fall, and water your lawn only when needed. You also want to set a mowing schedule and stick to it — and clean your mower if you've mowed over patches of kyllinga. Doing so will create a thick, luscious turf that will choke out any weeds that try to move in. Also, increasing the health of your grass overall by choosing the best fertilizer for your lawn can also keep weeds like green kyllinga out for good.