At Earth Development, we’re in the business of helping you keep your lawn healthy…but sometimes, you just want to know how to kill grass!
Whether you’re planning on paving over a section of your grass, or you’re extending your home, getting rid of a lush, green lawn might seem daunting but there are some neat tricks you can use to make the job a little easier.
Let’s take a look at how to remove grass and all the reasons you might want to do it.
Why You May Decide To Get Rid Of The Lawn
Installing Paving Stones or Extending A Property
Planning on installing new pavement, patio, or driveway? Not only do you need to get rid of your lawn, but you’ll also need to remove layers of topsoil, too. For this purpose, you can afford to take harsher measures to remove the grass as you do not expect to be growing plants in the soil again in the future.
Saving On Water Costs
Lawns look great, but if you don’t need one and don’t particularly enjoy it, you may prefer an alternative that doesn’t require regular watering and maintenance.
Extending Your Flower Beds
Perhaps you intend to extend your flower beds into your lawn. In this instance, be sure to choose one of the natural options in the list below so you can protect the quality of your soil.
This is how to remove grass from gardens:
Top 7 Best Ways to Kill Grass
These are the top seven tips on how to get rid of the grass.
Commercial Herbicides
Commercial herbicides are probably the best way to kill grass but beware of the damage they may do to your soil. Harsh chemicals will kill the roots of the plant and leave with you no grass in no time, and the damaged soil can simply be removed if you’re planning on replacing it with paving stones.
Remember to wear gloves and protect yourself when applying the product to the soil.
Get Digging!
This is less about how to make grass die, and more about how to dig grass up!
One way of getting rid of your lawn is picking up a shovel or a spade and digging it out yourself. Remember, though, that you need to remove the entire root system to ensure that the grass does not grow back.
It’s the most time-consuming way to do it, but as long as you dig up the roots you’ll be left with perfectly good topsoil and no grass.
Just Vinegar
You can quickly and easily make a grass-killing solution out of vinegar. Remember, though, that this is not good for the soil and should be avoided if you plan on planting new plants in the soil in the near future.
Some people dilute the vinegar, but to ensure that you kill the grass as quickly as possible, it’s probably best to avoid that step. Saturate your lawn with the solution using a spray bottle, and then wait a few days before digging up the dead grass.
Boiling Water
Pouring boiling water on your lawn is the best way how to kill lawn grass naturally, but it presents a few challenges. Firstly, it takes time to boil water and you are likely going to need to make multiple trips. So this is only a good option for those with small lawns.
Secondly, you risk hurting yourself every time you carry boiling water from the kitchen.
It is, however, a natural way of killing grass and doesn’t change the composition of your soil. It’s perfect if you’re trying to kill the grass to extend your flower beds.
Salt
Salt will kill just about everything, so you need to be careful when applying it to your lawn. There are a couple of ways you can apply it, too. You can either create a saltwater solution and spray it on your lawn, allowing the salt to dissolve into the soil, or simply sprinkle the salt directly over your lawn.
Remember…only apply the salt where you want to stop grass from growing as it will easily kill your flowers.
Using the Sun
Here’s how you can kill grass naturally without impacting your soil at all. Start by mowing your lawn short, and then cover it in a large black plastic sheet. The sun will heat up the soil underneath the sheet and kill the lawn or any weeds.
It’s actually really good for your soil, too, as it will kill pathogens in it. After a few weeks or months, dig up the lawn and you’re left with healthy soil.
Composting
Finally, another natural way to remove grass without damaging the soil is by layering newspaper or cardboard over the lawn after mowing it and then spraying it with plenty of water. Add a top layer of mulch and the grass will soon die and turn into compost. It can take a couple of months for the grass to die, but in the meantime, the layer of mulch looks just like soil…and it’s prettier than black plastic sheets!
Conclusion
If you’re still not sure how to remove grass from a garden, then why not trust a local expert?
Earth Development’s specialist landscape maintenance team will help you decide the best way to remove your lawn depending on what you’ll replace it with and how quickly you need it gone. We’ll even help you come up with a whole new landscape design for your residential or commercial property!
For expert advice, call Earth Development today at (920) 406-7501!