Clearing Grass

[esrikandan]

I'm going to use an area of the back garden to grow some veggies this year. However, it is mostly covered in grass. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to clear it up?

Will covering the whole area (for a month or two) in polythene kill of the grass? And will the grass come back if I dig it into the ground (perhaps under some compost or topsoil)?

I'll be sticking some raised beds onto the cleared area. The space is about 8ft x 16ft.

Thanks!

[sewer rat]

What to do is mark out where you are going to put your raised beds and dig up the turf from those areas only. This will leave you with a nice grass path between your beds.
Lift the turf with a spade and you can then choose between just turning it over on the bottom of the raised beds or stacking it in a heap, grass side down in a corner somewhere, where it will break down gardually to give you a beautiful pile of first class soil to put back into your beds as required.
The grass should not come back if it is buried properly, though if there is ciouch grass through it, that will make a re-appearance. As you dig the turf up, remove any perrenial weeds you come across.

[rustylady]

Sewer Rat has answered the question beautifully - go with his advice.

[Two_Sheds]

I would go for the least-digging option. I'd mark out the beds, cover them with black plastic (not clear) or cardboard to exclude light. this will also bring wireworms, chafers and other pests up to the surface so you can then expose them to the birds.
When the grass has died off a bit or a lot, you can then dig over the area.

[Flummery]

I made my whole vegetable plot from elderly lawn when we moved here. I did it over 3 years, double digging a bed at a time and burying the turf upside down. It breaks down beautifully. I never mind digging - I find it mindlessly relaxing!

[esrikandan]

Thanks all!

I don't mind the digging. Just wondering if there was an "easier" snd equally effective way...

The area is about 30% cleared as was being used as a border around the lawn. I pulled up the old edging this morning and dug out a partition beween the veggie area and the lawn (to be filled in with some kind of border stuff or brick edging).

But I think Sewer Rats solution is good. The turf I lift can be used to cover the currently exposed bits around where the beds will go. if it looks too shabby I can always cover it up and do something else later.

[Hans Mum]

SR's advice is spot on. i inherited a pile of upturned grass & its broken down into a beautiful crumbly textured soil

[esrikandan]

Just need to hope for some drier days...!

[Flummery]

My upturned grass had couch grass and bindweed roots still alive in there 2 years later. (And toads!)

[PJGOLF]

Hi,
as with some of the advice which has gone before, I had to clear my plot of grass about 3 years ago. I piled the grass sods upside down and left them. I have just made a couple of raised beds and used the soil from the pile to fill in. It the most wonderful stuff I have ever seen.

[esrikandan]

I have in fact done exactly that - I stripped the turf and have collected it in a pile (put some on the compost heap as well), covered them up and will wait.