The shallow kill depth is also the problem when it comes to rhizome grasses
like Bermuda, Bahia or even Zoysia. I've had all of these recover, in short
time from black plastic or rototilling. Bahia can even survive Roundup if
you don't hit everything evenly or thoroughly with heavier than usual dose.
If you have bluegrass or fescue, take the easy way out. If you have tose
mentionned above, pull out the big guns.
Gary

"Dusty Bleher" wrote in message
...
Hello "Ook" & all;

"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
...
I have a nice patch of grass in my back yard I want to convert to garden.
What are some good ways to get rid of the grass - kill it, turn it under,
etc. ?

It's been fun reading all of the replies you got on how to go about doing
getting rid of the grass. But one wasn't mentioned. It's become my
preferred method of "clearing the land" so to speak.

It's easy (no hard labor), cheap (no expensive chemicals or water to
boil), and works quite quickly. Found that out when I'd spread one out on
the lawn for the few moments it took to fold and put away...

What is it?

A piece of black plastic, such as one might use as a liner under bark
chips or other landscape cover. Just that plain, flexible, BLACK, plastic
sheet stuff.

Get a chunk large enough to cover the area you want cleared, weigh the
edges down with some rocks of something...and let the sun do its magic.

I've inadvertently killed lawn sections in as little as 10 or 15 minutes
of (accidental) exposure like that--but I was living in Sacramento at the
time. They do get "a little" sun there. Since I don't know where you're
going to do this, you may find it takes longer in Wisconsin...esp. with
snow on the ground...(:-o)!

I leave it there for a few days, and all of the grass, weeds, everything
is quite dead. Then I till it under as mulch. Works like a champ. The
"kill depth" is relatively shallow, so it doesn't really mess up your
garden's ecology AFAICT...

Hope this helps...


Dusty
San Jose, Ca.