What is the best way of killing grass so we can grow vegitables in the exsisting soil?
Question:we don't want to use chemicals
Answers:
Why not roll it off as sod? you can use it else where (or give it to a neighbor). It's clean, chemical free and very effective. Use a squared off shovel ($8 at Walmart), then roll it like carpet. It doesn't roll as easily as carpet, but definitely doable, especially if you have a helping hand.
tweezers
i just till all the grass under with a power tiller it will die from lack of sunlight soon
dig it up? You will need to dig the soil anyway to prepare it for planting so you may as well dig it with the grass - make sure you turn it over and the grass wont grow again
Eat it.
The only way really is to dig it thoroughly and remove all weeds etc by hand. It's hard work but well worth the effort...
The way my husband and I did it was we just dug up the patch of ground where we wanted to make our garden, shook out the big clumps of sod and tossed them out of the patch, and then churned up the existing soil with a short pitchfork and some moo doo for fertilizing.no chemicals at all!
If you don't want to use chemicals, the best way is to turn it over with a shovel, in blocks. Once the grass is not getting sunlight it will start to die. Depending on how quickly you want to do this, it will take a little while for the grass to die, but once decayed it will add good nutrients to your soil.
the best thing to do is put heavy things on it for egsample when we have the paddling pool out in the summer on the grass it allways kills the grass it will take a few days but it depends on how big your pool is too the more its moved around your grass the quicker it will work leave it in 1 area though for 2-3 days before moving it again it works honestly my dad was very upset when my son had his pool on his lawn as he wanted his grass ! goodluck !
put a tarpuline (excuse the spelling) over the area you want to clear, then as you dig move it down the garden.
Weedkilla! thats the only way unless by hand like on the good life.
Using a Hoe shouldnt take you that long.
Weed killers only work by burning the tops of of the grass but the best method is to dig up the turf and then turn the soil 2or 3 times.
dig the top 3 inches off and turn it over showing the grass roots and the Sun will kill the grass for you repeat in a week's time if grass is still growing.
After about 2 weeks you will be able to turn the soil over ie at a greater depth weeding as you go
water your garden very well night before make sure water gets in to grass roots than day after pull the roots out you will see they come out of soil very easily afterwards dig your garden about 20 cm your soil will be ready for planting again
Remove the top 6 inches of soil and roots and you can then recycle the grass in your compost bin! You have to stack it grass to grass/roots to roots. Then get some good topsoil from a reputable supplier, if you get cheapo muck it will be full of rubbish,weeds etc. You need to enrich it with a good load of well rotted manure dug in thoroughly and away you go! Good luck.
Not the best time of year to start a veggie patch, I'm afraid. I would suggest waiting until later in the year, when the soil will be easier to turn over.
You will need to mark out the rows with string (so they are all nice and neat). Then you dig out a trench at one end (one spade deep) and flip the soil into this and work your way back. Try to make sure that most of the grass is upside down. Don't worry about breaking up the soil, as the frost will do this for you over winter.
The soil will become nice and crumbly and ready to plant out veggies in the spring. Depending on what has been on the land before and what you are planting you will need to consider putting down some lovely manure.
Some weeds and grass will invariably make their way to the surface, but just pull them out as and when they appear. They will soon give up. You can also put matting or tarpaulin over the plot to cut out any light, but I have found this method to be more trouble than it is worth as all sorts of grubs and seeds get wedged underneath.
If you really want to make a start this year, water the ground well to soften it, and remove the top layer of grass from the patch (very hard work so give yourself lots of breaks). Break up the soil below and get planting.
My tip would be to get some veggies going in your conservatory/on your window ledges/on your patio. It's amazing what you can produce from a few seeds and a growbag... tomatoes, strawberries, courgettes, chilli peppers!
Also, try filling a dustbin with compost and planting some carrots. You will be surprised at how well they grow.
Best of luck, and Happy Harvesting!
I've looked at the answers you've gotten so far, all are pretty good. Since this is something I did, here's the suggestions. Rent a REAR-tine roto-tiller (not a front tine one, it'll beat you to death). Work up the area in which you wish to plant, then using a garden rake, rake out all the stones, grass, weeds, etc. I'd suggest that you do this twice (work up the soil, rake out the area). The 2nd time that you do it, apply a good garden fertilizer first, then work it onto the soil. You'll still get some grass etc. which comes up, but these can be removed as a part of normal weeding & cultivating.
No Kidding... The easiest way I know To make a
"no Till garden" is to get a layer of corrugated cardboard or thick layer of newspapers and spread it out on the grass in the shape you want the garden... now water it till soggy. cut small holes or Xis in the soggy medium, Plant your veggies in these and Mulch heavily over the cardboard/ newspaper area and around the new Plantings. The grass underneath the cardboard /Newspaper will die and turn to nitrogen to feed the plants. I have done this... It works wonderfully!. and you wont break your back tilling up grass and weeds!
the best way is to strip off the turves completely using a spade..quick and doesnt cost anything. you can also turn the turves over and store them for loam, which you can dig back into the ground eventually...
I burn the grass before breaking the ground each year it helps eliminate any weeds from popping up once you have a garden and it is also good for the soil. good luck
cover the area in mypex overlay.
Round-up Herbicide. Spray, wait until grass and weeds have died. (Round-up kills the roots) then work up your ground and plant. Good luck and think green.
Depending on how environmentally friendly you want to be.
1/ cover area with old cardboard boxes. Leave for 6 months then dig in.
2/ As above using an old carpet buy remove don't try to dig in.
3/ Black polythene sheet.
Always dig in old grass rather than remove it as it will decompose and provide a good source of organic matter and nitrogen for the next crop.
Have fun.
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