Methods of Lawn Removal for a New Lawn

Lawn removal may be your only option if your existing lawn isn't performing well and has too many bare or brown spots to make repairing the lawn a practical strategy. The fastest lawn removal method is to remove the grass with a sod cutter, but that isn't always the best way, especially if you have a large lawn and you're doing all the work by yourself. Depending on the type of grass, it may not even work because some grasses, particularly Bermuda grass and crabgrass, have deep roots that will sprout again after you've done all that work.

Most grass-killing chemicals linger in the soil and prevent the new grass from growing, so instead of introducing herbicides to the soil, choose a healthier alternative lawn removal strategy. Here are four lawn removal methods to consider.

Solarization is a lawn removal technique that relies solely on the heat of the sun. It only works in full sun and not on any part of the lawn that is shaded.

1. Mow the grass as short as possible and water the lawn thoroughly.
2. Cover the lawn with clear plastic sheet mulch, making sure the plastic overlaps by several inches on the seams and has no holes.
3. Stake the plastic or hold it down with rocks and the sun's heat will create temperatures up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more than enough to bake the grass to a frazzle.

The best time of year to kill grass by solarization is summer, when the sun's heat is at its peak, but even then, it takes about four to eight weeks for all the grass to die. One problem with this technique is that your lawn will be an eyesore while it's covered with plastic, and you may have some explaining to do as far as your neighbors are concerned. When you finally do remove the plastic, you can allow the grass to compost in place.

One of the most effective ways to remove grass is called layering. This technique, which is also known as "lasagna layering" and "sheet composting," involves covering the lawn with a layer of compostable mulch and waiting for it to decompose. Cardboard and newspaper are both suitable for this project, but don't use glossy newsprint and make sure you remove staples, plastic tape, and all other nonbiodegradable materials. This method may not work for crabgrass, Bermuda grass, or other deep-rooted grass varieties.

Here's how to use layering to remove a lawn:

1. Cut the grass as short as possible to provide a solid base for the newspaper or cardboard.
2. Throw the grass clippings back on the lawn to speed up the decomposition of the grass.
3. Water the lawn thoroughly and then cover it with multiple layers of newspaper or cardboard, stacking the newspaper as thick as 15 to 20 sheets high. Be sure that the sheets overlap to completely block sunlight or the grass will find a way to survive.
4. Wet down the sheets thoroughly but don't soak them too much or they'll tear apart.
5. Cover the cardboard or newspaper with 4 to 6 inches of organic compost or soil and wait.

The mulch layer, which can include dead grass, wood chips, leaves, or straw, will be several inches thick. As it decomposes, though, the thickness will be reduced by half, and all of the organic material, including the dead grass, will become part of the soil, which is especially beneficial for clay soil. Typically, you have to wait six to eight weeks for this to occur, but the longer you wait, the better. If you do the layering in the spring and allow the mulch to decompose through the summer months, adding water periodically to better incorporate it into the soil, the lawn should be ready to till and replant in the fall. Alternatively, you can do lasagna layering in the fall and plant in the spring.

The quickest way to remove grass is also the most labor intensive, and that's to cut the turf into strips and physically remove it. Depending on the number of square feet of lawn you have to remove, you may choose to do it with a hand tool, such as a border edger or a spade, or you may elect to rent or buy a gas-powered sod cutter. After separating the turf from the soil by cutting the roots with a sod knife, you can roll it up and take it away, or you can use the strips of sod to level uneven terrain by stacking them in low places or using them to form berms.

If you leave the turf in the yard, you'll want to turn it over and let the grass compost in place. To ensure this happens efficiently and as quickly as possible, cover the sod with six to 10 layers of newspaper, ensuring the sheets overlap to exclude sunlight, and then cover that with 4 to 6 inches of compost and 3 to 4 inches of organic mulch. This will turn a fast removal method into one that isn't as fast, however, and because it's so labor intensive, it probably isn't the most efficient approach for a large lawn.

One of the problems with physical removal is that it isn't practical to dig deep enough to completely uproot weeds and grasses like Bermuda grass, which has roots that extend as deep as 6 feet. If you don't dig up these roots, the weeds and grasses will grow again. Solarization is a better technique for removing Bermuda grass.

Lawn removal frees up the part of the yard that the grass occupied, and you might decide to xeriscape and use a section for a garden bed or for a brand-new garden filled with native plants that require less water than grass.

Before you sow the new seed, test the soil to determine which nutrient deficiencies exist so you can address them. There probably won't be many if you composted the old lawn using the layering method, but if you solarized the old grass, you may need to adjust the soil pH. Most likely, you'll have to raise the pH, and you do this by tilling lime into the soil. If you have to lower the pH, which should ideally be between 6.5 and 7.0, add elemental sulfur. You might also need to add some nitrogen-rich fertilizer because grass needs a lot of nitrogen.

It's important to till or turn the soil because that loosens and aerates it while mixing nutrients evenly so that all parts of the lawn have an equal share. Before tilling, be sure to call 811, the national call-before-you-dig phone number, to have all underground utility lines marked. After you've finished tilling, you'll also want to level and grade the soil with a landscape rake to fill in depressions where standing water could collect and drown the grass. This is also a perfect time to install underground irrigation pipes for a sprinkler system if there isn't one there already.

If your previous lawn failed, chances are that it was the wrong type of grass for your particular corner of the country (or for a particular area of your yard). You may have chosen the proper warm- or cool-season variety for your location, but if there was too much sun (or not enough sun) or your yard is in a microclimate, you might be better off with a seed mixture rather than a single variety.

Some mixtures combine different cultivars of a single species, while others combine different species, and the mixtures you find at your local garden center are usually the ones that grow best in your area. If you aren't sure which grass seed to choose, consult with the local cooperative extension service for pointers about choosing grass seed for your particular situation.