Whenever I look into my garden, it makes me thinking about the definition of happiness. Indeed, there are many incredible ways to get this reward. But lawn gardening is the best among them. It can reform dull leisure to playful times.
Of course, my garden wasn’t grown overnight. I still give a specific time to care for the garden. However, before I started home gardening, the grass was the primary opponent. It made me think “how to start a garden where the grass is currently.” I have brought you the ways how you can eliminate grass and start gardening.
If there are lots of grass on the lawn, don’t be tensed. Follow these steps if you wish to start gardening in a place full of grass.
Preparing Garden on Grassy Land:
Grass removal increases the necessary elements in the soil. After removing them, plants get ample water and nutrients.
- Firstly, I suggest you choose the correct area for gardening. The beds should be plain or level with sufficient soil drainage system. Don’t select a place that doesn’t get at least six hours of sunlight a day.
- Secondly, call the specialist to test the quality of the soil like the number of nutrients, pH level, etc. I took a small bag of soil in the local agricultural center. Mark the area or bed with wooden stakes by hammering them.
- Thirdly, you need to cut the sods from the ground. You can simply use a spade to separate sod from the soil. Also, try to use herbicides or other methods for killing the grass. I will share these methods in the latter part of this content.
- Fourthly, after removing the sods, loosen the soil. Make it level by using a steel rake. It will also help to remove any debris. Use the cut grass and debris to pile and making compost from them.
- Fifthly, make the bed suitable for plantation. Use organic materials, compost, or fertilizers on the soil. I suggest you use lime and soda ash for acid soils balancing. You can also mix iron sulfate to reduce the pH of alkaline soil.
- Sixthly, bring a tiller and till your yard garden. A shovel can also be a choice. Till the area more than once for the better mix-up of nutrients in the soil. Leave the garden for one or two weeks.
- Seventhly, start planting flowers or fruit trees, vegetables accordingly.
Now, you have the ideas of where to start and how the processes might be. Through these above processes, any grassy land can be transformed into a potential garden. Let’s know how to kill grass in a garden.
Digging:
It’s the least time-consuming way to get rid of weeds and grass. It helps get clean and immediate results. Dig the land with a spade, fork, etc.
How to do:
- You should make the soil soft for easy digging. Bring a bucket of water or sprayer. Spray on the whole area and leave the place for a couple of days. Keep in mind that the soil is moisturized but not soggy. Saturated soil makes things tougher.
- Spade the soil to cut the sod into one or two feet wide parallel strips. It will depend on turfgrass density and thickness of the strips. Then, pry up a sod piece from one end and use the space to slide under it. Remove all the taproots and fibrous roots. Roll the cut strips up and keep peeling from their back.
- You can buy or use sod cutter made of steel blades.
Tilling:
A rototiller is a fantastic lawn gardening tool. It has the power to wipe all the old stubborn weeds and grass. It can retail the original organic matter of the garden bed.
How to do:
- Remove the garbage from the lawn before you start tilling. Take all the sticks, rocks, plastics, particles, etc. to another place. Rake the area to level the field.
- Eliminate grass from their roots with a sod cutter. Spray water on the marked area. Let the water soak at least two or three inches deep. Avoid turning the soil into mud. Start using the rototiller if the ground isn’t holding in a clump.
- I set the depth bar between 4-6 inches on the rototiller. You can also follow this. Then keep the cover down if the gadget has any door or guard.
- Spread mulched compost or fertilizer in the garden. Rake again and level the surface. Search if there is any existing grass left on or around the selected area. Avoid leaving gaps between the rows.
- Till the soil from another direction. Like you have done tilling from North to South. Now, till from the East to West direction. Always rake the ground to level the surface. Start planting in an area that had grass earlier.
Smothering:
This is also known as solarizing the grass. You cover the grass with sunlight protected layer through smothering. Grass dies within weeks.
How to do:
- You need a plastic or polythene paper to stop the photosynthesis process. Cover the whole area with that paper. Remember, you shouldn’t leave any space open or uncovered. Make sure no air or sunlight can’t pass through the paper.
- When you leave the place covered, no sunlight will penetrate the paper. Slowly, the internal temperature will increase dramatically. Then, the grass gets dried from their stems and later on die.
- Choose old papers, newspapers, cardboard as an alternative to plastic. After spreading these on the garden, cover them with leaf mold, mulch, grass clippings, etc. This will kill the grass but protect the organic materials.
Herbicides:
This process is for them who don’t want to toil harder to prepare a garden where the grass is currently growing. Herbicides are grass removal medicines. These can be final solutions for grass removal.
How to do:
- Look for quality herbicides for the garden first. Check if it is formulated for killing grass or not. Read how to apply herbicides on the grass from the pre-given instructions. These medicines are available in solution or powder.
- Put on gloves and sprinkle the powder herbicides. If you chose liquid medicine, spray the whole area thoroughly. Don’t use them when there is excessive wind or chances of rain.
- For better protection, use protective gear like hand gloves, long sleeves, and pants, mask, etc. After using the chemical, wait for a couple of days. You won’t see the grass for the next 6-12 months.
- You can also use homemade natural herbicide at home: mix vinegar, bleach, baking soda, and salt in water. In general, vinegar and baking soda don’t require to be diluted. But bleach and salt mix ratio would be one-to-two with water. Then spray the solution using sprayer over the yard for gardening.
Conclusion:
The grass is a fast-paced unnecessary thing in the way of gardening. You should be conscious of keeping your lawn garden grass-free. You should follow the above steps to stop thinking about gardening having grass on the field. I hope I have included all the essential information about how to start a garden where the grass is currently growing.