5 Weeds To Watch
Beware of Florida’s most troublesome “plants out of place” in vegetable production.
5 Weeds To Watch ctd.
4. Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)
Yellow nutsedge, a member of the sedge family, is an aggressive perennial weed superficially resembling a grass. It is common in vegetable and agronomic croplands and prefers moist soils. Yellow nutsedge is difficult to control because of its ability to form dense colonies. The plants range from 6 to 30 inches tall with three-angled (triangular in cross section) stems. The grass-like, yellowish-green leaves are produced at the base of the plant in groups of three, forming a sheath around the stem. Leaves and stems have a waxy or shiny appearance. Flowering stems are erect, unbranched, and triangular.
Yellowish-brown spikelets with inconspicuous individual flowers are born on the ends of flowering stems. Yellow nutsedge spreads primarily by small, hard brown underground nutlets or tubers formed at the tips of creeping stems. It also can spread by seed and creeping rootstocks. The tubers can remain dormant in the soil for several years before producing new plants. Treatment of vegetables with labeled herbicides early in the season provides good control of yellow nutsedge.
This article was contributed by Calvin Odero, a UF/IFAS Extension weed specialist based at the Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade.
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