Can you spot the difference between these two weeds? Nutgrass and Onion Weed have terrorised lawns across the country, however, while they look extremely similar, they require specific selective herbicides for their removal. Luckily, there are a few key identifying features that make it possible to tell Nutgrass and Onion Weed apart.
Skip to:
- How Do I Identify Onion Weed?
- How Do I Remove Onion Weed?
- How Do I Identify Nutgrass?
- How Do I Remove Nutgrass?
How Do I Identify Onion Weed?
Onion Weed is a perennial bulb-forming plant that has a noticeable onion smell. It grows strappy, waxy leaves that can produce small white flowers at their ends. It spreads through the underground bulb which often is left behind when the plant is hand pulled, making removal via herbicide preferential.
- Onion smell
- Strappy, waxy leaves
- Small white flowers
How Do I Remove Onion Weed?
If there is only a small amount of Onion Weed Present and you can attempt to remove the weed without a herbicide, however it is recommended that you use a trowel or spade to dig the weed out of the ground, ensuring you can get the underground bulb. Pulling the weed out by hand will often lead to the bulb separating from the leaves and staying in the soil where it spreads rapidly.
The easiest way to remove the weed from your lawn will be to use a herbicide like Ferris WG. This is a selective herbicide that is safe for use on most couch, kikuyu, and buffalo turf varieties. Ensure that when you are applying the product you follow the specified application rate so that you do not cause any harm to your turf.
How Do I Identify Nutgrass?
Nutgrass is a sedge weed that grows via an underground nut-like tuber. Its leaves have a light green colour and will grow longer than the surrounding grass. The leaves will grow in groups of 3, shooting up from the stem which is triangular.
- Light green colour
- Longer, floppier leaves
- Leaves grow in groups of 3
- Triangular stem
How Do I Remove Nutgrass?
The best way to remove Nutgrass is to dig it out with a small spade or trowel, ensuring that you do not leave any roots or the bulb in the soil as this can cause the weed to spread further.
If there is a larger infestation throughout your lawn, then a selective herbicide like Sedge Control may be necessary. If left untreated, this weed can spread rapidly and become extremely difficult to treat so it is best to act quickly.
For more information on weed treatments and lawn care, check out our other blogs here.
