A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 New Garden Bed

I am creating a new bed for flowers where there is now grass. A friend told me I could just turn over the sod, let it dry out then cover it with a few inches of new soil. But I am concerned about the nitrogen in the grass. Will it hamper flowering?

I think you would end up with a lot of grass in your new bed if you did it that way. There is a way to make a raised bed without having to take up the grass that is currently there but I can't spell Lagnaga. I know there have been a number of posts about it in organic gardening but I can't remember the names of any of them right now. Hopefully some one will come along and save me very soon.

I think your thinking of solarizeing your soil/sod/grass.but takes a bit of time.
1.You soak the area very well(like run a sprinkler for 30 minutes)in winter when grass is dormant you can leave in place but in summer time you'd still be removeing your existing grass/sod.
2.you cover you very wet area& any amendments would be added now(fertilizers,bonemeal ect.)
3 best done with 2 layers of plastic so can trap heat inbetween plastic.Important to keep soil wet and takes roughly 6 weeks


I have a bed I've'cultivated' the weeds/grass out of and planted in.I still pull up weeds and some grass still& once get more plantings settled in I will mulch to make my summer more better and more time for enjoying my AC.I amended the soil with 400 lbs of organic mix.I still have one bed left to go same hex shape but has 4 points& very very tempted to just till it with tiller.my finger is peeling skin where them thorns we're wrecking havock.

I've read that you can cover the grassy area with newspaper and then mulch over the newspaper, and the grass will die and everything will decompose. I don't know how long that takes though, so it depends on when you want this done.

good luck!