"James Egan" wrote in message
news
I'm planning on planting a small garden in my back yard. Currently
there's lawn with grass growing where I want to plant. When you till the
soil, can you just mix in the grass? Or should the grass be removed
first, then tilled, and compost added?

-Thanks



I'd use a hybrid method based on various ideas here, but (especially) if you
want to grow edibles, ignore idiots who suggest using chemicals like Roundup
on the garden. Cover the area thickly with newsprint, then mulch. Dig out
only think strips where you want to plant seeds or plants. The idea is to
stop the grass from competing with whatever you plant.

If you till the grass, you won't kill it. You'll just chop it into a million
pieces and much of it will grow back quickly. You can try and pick it out,
but that's crazy. The absolute best way is to slice the turf into manageable
pieces and then slice under it to remove it. At that point, it's best to
shake/chop/curse off the excellent soil that clings to the roots. Imagine
how much fun that is for a large area.