Contracting Assistance
Unless you are looking for a DIY project, you will most likely be contracting a landscape or irrigation company to achieve your landscaping goals. We recommend that you contact them as soon as possible as resources can be limited.
How to remove your current turf grass
Now that you understand your irrigation systems & zone, you’ve had a landscape assessment, and you made a general plan for what you want your landscape to look like, it’s time to get rid of your turf grass! Here are some important factors to consider: Maintaining soil structure and soil microbiology. Protecting above-ground insects & wildlife. Ease of use Expense. Length of time. There are quite a few ways to remove your landscape, however, none of the options are able to meet all of the conside
Spray with a non-selective herbicide, e.g. Glyphosate
This method is a relatively fast, cheap and easy way to kill your lawn. It maintains the soil’s structure and microbiology and leaves the organic content (dead grass and roots) in place to decompose. Because you are not disturbing the soil, weed seeds are not brought to the surface to germinate. You may need to apply the herbicide 2-3 times, 2-3 weeks apart. Click here to decide if you are comfortable with the possible health and ecological risks. Read and follow the label instructions!
Water thoroughly and cover the area you want to kill with clear plastic, making sure that the edges are sealed. Leave it there for 4-8 weeks. This method is most effective in the hottest months (June - August). It is not aesthetically pleasing, but it is a low-effort option. Leave the dead grass or rake it up. Avoid disturbing the weed seed bank by not tilling it. Research has shown that there is only a temporary reduction in soil microbial activity.
Mow close and cover
Withhold water from the area to stress the grass. Mow it as close as possible, then cover the area with compost and an 8-12” layer of wood chips. Water well to encourage decomposition. Many gardening sites recommend using layers of newspaper or overlapping pieces of cardboard. This will slow down an already lengthy process, and it temporarily reduces soil microbial activity which is important for soil and plant health. Be aware that this will take a season or more and still may not kill it all
Dig it up
Water the area thoroughly to soften the soil. Dig up the grass, thatch and roots. Then cover with soil and mulch. This method is a quick solution, depending on the size of the area, and it allows you to plant immediately. However, it is difficult work, and you are removing beneficial organic material. It also disturbs the soil’s structure and brings weed seeds to the surface where the warmth and moisture will germinate them.
Till it under
Till 24 hours after rain when the soil is warm and damp. Start with a shallow setting to slice the sod, using increasing depths to break up the clods of grass, soil, and roots. It is best to till in the fall when the grass can return nitrogen to the soil. In the spring, grass and weeds may regrow as the weather gets warmer. A tiller can be heavy, noisy, and smelly, but you can plant immediately. This method does destroy soil structure and can propagate weeds like bindweed and Canada thistle.
Use a sod cutter
First, mow and water your lawn. Cut overlapping strips of sod and roll them up. Cut strips short enough to be moved easily. This method is quick but requires heavy equipment and leaves you with rolls of sod. You can figure out how to get rid of them, or you can flip the sod over to decompose in place, keeping the organic matter in your yard or garden. You then treat it like the ‘mow and cover’ method. To look into renting a sod cutter click here.
Soil Amendments
A soil amendment is a product that you add to your plants or lawn to improve soil quality. It can improve water retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aeration and structure. The goal of soil amendments is to better support soil health, root growth and establishment.
Soil amendment MUST be mixed in with the current soil to work properly. Simply laying it on top or burying it, will not yield the same results as mixing it in the soil.
Mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include the conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth, guiding and conserving water, and enhancing aesthetics.
Organic vs Inorganic Soil Amendments
Organic
Organic amendments come from something that was alive. These include sphagnum, peat, wood chips, grass clippings, straw, compost, manure, biosolids, sawdust and wood ash. Before choosing any of the organic amendments, you need to understand what your soil is missing. Wood ash, for example, will increase pH and salt. In Colorado, we tend to already have soil with a high pH and salt.
Inorganic
Various types of materials do not decompose and therefore do not need to be replenished very often, if ever. These inorganic options include rock, stone, lava rock, crusher dust, decomposed granite, landscape fabrics, and other man-made materials. Inorganic materials are ideal for decorative use, controlling weeds, and guiding and conserving water. Because rocks and stones absorb and reflect heat, they have the advantage of warming the soil for early spring planting of fruits and vegetables but may be detrimental to some plants during periods of hot, dry weather.
What do we recommend?
Compost!
- Compost refers to decomposed organic matter. In Colorado, a wide variety of compost products are available in bagged and bulk products. These may be a combination of plant-based compost, manure-based composts, biosolids, and other agriculture by-products. With the large livestock industry in Colorado, manure-based composts are the most common. These are often high in salts. Use with caution.
- Compost made solely from plant-based products (such as wood chips and yard wastes) are low in salts. These are preferred over manure-based composts which are often higher in salts. However, they are generally more expensive.
- We highly recommend compost. It will work with most soil types. Check out the resource below to learn more about other options for soil amendments. We do not recommend mulching with wood chips as it adds too much nitrogen to our already nitrogen full soil.
- As a point of clarification, composts and manures are not regulated. Many commercially available products are labeled as “composted.” However, this does not mean that it has been through the active decomposition process.