Tilling a plot of sod for a garden?

[Colonoscopy]

What's the best way to do this? Tiller? Remove sod/grass ahead of time? I don't have all the tools, so will have to rent.

Something like a 20x20 plot. I see that I can rent a 9HP tiller that will do it, apparently smaller machines won't. But it's also a 500lb beast and I wouldn't mind doing some of the work myself. (but maybe this is stupid)

Strategies?

 

[The Tradition]

Cover the plot with a tarp for about six weeks. Everything will be dead after that and incorporation or removal of the dead plant material will be easier.

 

[Colonoscopy]

Cover the plot with a tarp for about six weeks. Everything will be dead after that and incorporation or removal of the dead plant material will be easier.

Good thought. Didn't think that far ahead.

 

[Jerome Silberman]

Removing the sod for that size of plot is what I would consider right in the awkward spot between 'it's a lot to do by hand' vs 'not quite enough to justify lugging a sod cutter'.

I'd probably end up taking up the sod by hand and then renting a tiller to turn the soil. While you have the tiller you should amend the soil with some compost.

 

[millah_22]

Good thought. Didn't think that far ahead.

In fact, another thing you can do is cover it with cardboard. over time the cardboard will break down, and you can put garden soil directly on top of it. research "no dig garden"

 

[soybean]

First, burn it down with Roundup. Then dig the dead grass remains out by hand, preserving the soil...it's only a 20X20 plot, it will be good for you and you will thank me later.

 

[Mayland]

The Roundup is good advice. If you want to till after the spray wait a minimum of 7 days for the Roundup to translocate to the roots of the perennial grasses/weeds.

 

[The Tradition]

In fact, another thing you can do is cover it with cardboard. over time the cardboard will break down, and you can put garden soil directly on top of it. research "no dig garden"

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I did that for a small garden bed last year.

I dug up the grass and flipped it upside down, then put down the cardboard, and then layered on compost, green matter, more compost, more greens, topsoil, etc., etc. The garlic grew great in the bed, but I did have a weed I call "torpedo grass" (no idea what the true name is) survived all that and started infesting the bed.

Now that the garlic has been pulled I have a tarp over it.

 

[Funky Bunch]

Take a can of spray paint and mark the area off. Then point it out to your wife and tell her to get it done.

 

[Colonoscopy]

Take a can of spray paint and mark the area off. Then point it out to your wife and tell her to get it done.

that work with a side ho too?

 

[Funky Bunch]

that work with a side ho too?

 

[Greenway4Prez]

Roundup, wait a week, roto-till, go over the area with a garden rake to get the obnoxious clumps out. You don’t need to go nuts and be too picky getting the grass clumps out, they’ll decompose.

 

[Rifler]

Strip the sod off first and then since it's only a 20'x20' area I would just spade it by hand,.. Sharp square edge shovel for stripping the sod, and then a garden spade, hoe and rake for the spading and final prep,.. RoundUp a week or two in advance will ease the stripping process somewhat...

 

[Jerome Silberman]

Not trying to start sh!t, but I would not use Roundup if you want to use the area for gardening that same season. It could be fine, or a giant pain in the ass as your plants start struggling.

 

[Gimmered]

I could post a request on our local facebook market place and have 3 guys wanting to do this for me. Most of these guys will do it cheaply enough to never justify renting a tiller.

 

[Rifler]

Not trying to start sh!t, but I would not use Roundup if you want to use the area for gardening that same season. It could be fine, or a giant pain in the ass as your plants start struggling.

It would be fine,.. RoundUp transmits via direct leaf or stem contact where it's absorbed and transmitted to the root system to do it's job,.. After 2 weeks plant anything you want.

 

[millah_22]

Not trying to start sh!t, but I would not use Roundup if you want to use the area for gardening that same season. It could be fine, or a giant pain in the ass as your plants start struggling.

yeah, I also would be somewhat apprehensive of eating anything out of a plot that has been treated with roundup but thats just me.

 

[Rifler]

yeah, I also would be somewhat apprehensive of eating anything out of a plot that has been treated with roundup but thats just me.

Best to stop eating anything grown on this planet then....

 

[millah_22]

Best to stop eating anything grown on this planet then....

Maybe i just might

 

[NDallasRuss]

Removing the sod for that size of plot is what I would consider right in the awkward spot between 'it's a lot to do by hand' vs 'not quite enough to justify lugging a sod cutter'.

I'd probably end up taking up the sod by hand and then renting a tiller to turn the soil. While you have the tiller you should amend the soil with some compost.

I rented a sod cutter once, but that was to do an area that was about 1/4 acre, that hadn't been used in about 40 years, so it was overgrown with weeds, poison ivy, etc. It was very useful, but it was quite a bit of effort to lug that thing around, get it stripping the sod just right, etc.

For 20x20 I think I'd just use a shovel to strip off the first couple of inches, then till up the area and plant stuff. That shouldn't take very long at all.

 

[Colonoscopy]

Thanks for the discussion.

So I actually have two areas; the 20x20 front yard patch (basically the badly sloped area) that I want to turn into a wild-flower patch. I tried last year without nuking the grass and it didn't work.

And then a smaller backyard plot for a garden with herbs and a few veggies, sunflowers, etc...

It sounds like the roundup approach will work for me, for favoring that, for now. Am I going to have to tarp the grass after putting down roundup if it rains? (suppose to be a decent amount of rain here in E IA this weekend)

 

[Funky Bunch]

Not trying to start sh!t, but I would not use Roundup if you want to use the area for gardening that same season. It could be fine, or a giant pain in the ass as your plants start struggling.

I was wondering about that too

Will Roundup Weed Killer Get Into My Vegetables?

Garden Guides is the ultimate resource for cultivating your green thumb.

www.gardenguides.com

Planting After a Treatment with Roundup​

Because glyphosate doesn't affect pre-emergent plants, the main consideration when clearing weeds from a vegetable garden that you haven't planted yet is leaving the weeds in the ground long enough for it to work. That's usually a matter of 72 hours at the most -- perhaps longer in rainy weather. Some Roundup products, however, contain a weed preventer called imazapic. These products, which are clearly labeled, can make the ground unsuitable for planting for up to four months and aren't suitable for use in vegetable gardens. It's important to read the label before using a Roundup product.

 

[millah_22]

Thanks for the discussion.

So I actually have two areas; the 20x20 front yard patch (basically the badly sloped area) that I want to turn into a wild-flower patch. I tried last year without nuking the grass and it didn't work.

And then a smaller backyard plot for a garden with herbs and a few veggies, sunflowers, etc...

It sounds like the roundup approach will work for me, for favoring that, for now. Am I going to have to tarp the grass after putting down roundup if it rains? (suppose to be a decent amount of rain here in E IA this weekend)

Should say on the label.

 

[Jerome Silberman]

I wonder if the popularity of Roundup has any link to the absurd rate of head and neck cancer here in ag land?

 

[Hendy hawk]

yeah, I also would be somewhat apprehensive of eating anything out of a plot that has been treated with roundup but thats just me.

Want to agree with you but think about the chemicals used on gardens and companies that produce our food we buy in stores

 

[Jerome Silberman]

Want to agree with you but think about the chemicals used on gardens and companies that produce our food we buy in stores

$10B is the last figure I saw that will be paid out due to the link between Roundup and cancer.

 

[Lindemann]

I'd think a 2% glyphosate would work and the ground be workable in 2 weeks.

The last garden I cleared, I just scalped the grass clear to the ground with the mower and then tilled. I have an old Troy-Bilt Horse that chews up the scalped sod pretty good. This method uses no chemicals.

 

[The Tradition]

$10B is the last figure I saw that will be paid out due to the link between Roundup and cancer.

More stupid jurors in action.

 

[The Tradition]

I'd think a 2% glyphosate would work and the ground be workable in 2 weeks.

The last garden I cleared, I just scalped the grass clear to the ground with the mower and then tilled. I have an old Troy-Bilt Horse that chews up the scalped sod pretty good. This method uses no chemicals.

The tarp method uses no chemicals, too.

 

[Kozisek]

I second the no till method. Why do all that work when it's unnecessary and counter productive?

 

[Colonoscopy]

I second the no till method. Why do all that work when it's unnecessary and counter productive?

I figured I'm too late for the tarp method at this point

 

[Jerome Silberman]

More stupid jurors in action.

Yeah, f@ck off. It's not a theoretical problem for everyone, especially around here.

 

[The Tradition]

I figured I'm too late for the tarp method at this point

Yeah, summer is our "fallow season" here at Tradition Manor. Most things won't grown in our hot, humid weather except a few things like sweet potatoes, okra, and peanuts.

I don't like okra and I've never tried peanuts and you only need so many sweet potatoes...

So, May/June is when the tarps go on garden plots...

 

[Lindemann]

The tarp method uses no chemicals, too.

Tarps are made with chemicals.

 

[The Tradition]

Tarps are made with chemicals.

So are shovels.

 

[Lindemann]

So are shovels.

Shovels are more of a steel thing. Not so much a petro chemical thing like tarps.

Edit to add: 🙄

 

[soybean]

Not trying to start sh!t, but I would not use Roundup if you want to use the area for gardening that same season. It could be fine, or a giant pain in the ass as your plants start struggling.

Wrong. Roundup is the best option hre. No worries about susequent plantings...Roundup will not carry-over and it will becme inert when comes in contact with the soil.

 

[The Tradition]

Wrong. Roundup is the best option hre. No worries about susequent plantings...Roundup will not carry-over and it will becme inert when comes in contact with the soil.

I agree, but I also get why food gardeners don't want to use it.

By the way, you don't have to use a plastic waterproof tarp. Anything that will block the light will work. Think untreated cotton tarp or burlap. Might need a lot of layers and it might take longer to kill everything, but it'll work. Especially if you have a cardboard barrier under it.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

Watched the no till video and that is pretty slick. I’ve got a small area next to my patio I’ve been wanting to plant some stuff in so I may give it a go.

 

[Jerome Silberman]

Wrong. Roundup is the best option hre. No worries about susequent plantings...Roundup will not carry-over and it will becme inert when comes in contact with the soil.

Ok.

Op, ignore my advice based upon my own personal experience. No new information about the effects of glyphosate has come to light in it's brief existence.