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| I have a long (70 foot) flower garden I would like to relocate. I would like to take half of it and create a corner triangle garden out if it. My question is...do I absolutely have to dig up the sod or is there a way to plant without doing this? Can I kill the grass by laying weed cover below the mulch? Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by username_5 5 (My Page) on Sat, Aug 13, 05 at 12:10
| you absolutely do not need to take up sod. A much easier method is to smother it with material that rots. A common technique and one that I have used is to take cardboard and/or newspaper and put it over the area you wish to convert to a bed. If you use newspaper then use 5-6 sheets, cardboard can be single layer. Make sure to have several inches of overlap. On top of this spread topsoil if you wish to raise the level of the bed or compost if you don't (compost will break down to nearly nothing in a couple/few years). Plant directly into the topsoil/compost. The grass will die within a few weeks and the paper/cardboard will decompose enough for the plant roots to work through. A variation on this is called 'lasagna beds'. Do a site search on that for more info. |
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| In addition to the proposal provided: if your present grass cover is something with invasive runners or persistent perennial weeds it would pay to remove these before putting anything perennial above it. If the ground is heavily compacted it might pay to break the surface perhaps by plunging a heavy spading fork into the turf. If the new bed is going to be higher than the original, consider both the effects of water run-off, and getting to the back of the deeper bed. Stepping stones or spaces for laying work boards. Otherwise you'll compact your soil and give yourself extra work. |
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