Removing Weeds and Grass at Your Garden

There are several products available on the market that are designed
to permanently remove and kill weeds and grass. Do not use these
products to prepare your garden bed. These products destroy the
nutrients in the ground and can make it virtually impossible to grow
anything in that area for a year or more.
Use Your Shovel
If you are planning to plant your garden in an area that has weeds or
grass, the best way to remove the vegetation is with a shovel. Using
a spade, dig a couple inches into the surface of your garden plot. The
exact depth you will need to dig depends on the type of vegetation
you are removing. If it is mostly grass, a couple inches should be
plenty.
Once you have started a hole at the proper depth, you should be
able to use your spade to essentially skim the surface of your garden
plot. Do this by holding the spade at an angle that is almost parallel
to the ground. The goal is not to dig deep into your garden. Rather,
the goal is to simply take off the top layer of the ground in order to
get rid of the grass. Dispose of the grass and weed layers you have
removed, preferably in a compost pile if you have one started. If you
don’t, this is the perfect time to start one! (You will learn more
about how to do that later in this guide).
Make Some Sod
If the grass you are removing from the garden plot is nice, healthy
grass, you might also remove it by cutting it into sod. In this way, you
can transplant the grass to another area of your lawn that might

need it. To cut the grass into sod, use your spade to cut out
rectangular shapes within the grass. After you have cut out the
outline, slip the spade beneath the shape to loosen up the roots
underneath.
After the grass has been adequately loosened, you can roll the
rectangular piece of sod up and place it in a cart or wheelbarrow.
Then, take the sod to the new location and lay it down flat on the
ground. Then, piece together all of your pieces of sod until the area
is filled completely. Be sure to water the sod thoroughly. It should
be very wet in order to help the roots take hold. Continue watering
the area at least once per day for one to two weeks.