I want to kill my grass...

[GoldDogs]

I want everything in my backyard dead! Grass, weeds, flowers! I just want dirt.

I want to start from scratch. I've got rocks and random bulbs all over the place. Those prickly things! My yard is disgusting (plant wise) and.. I hate it.

Are there any home-made grass/weed killers that work? Or does anyone have any store-bought recommedations.

[Peety]

What do you want to do after you get to dirt?
re seed?

[NewCasa]

Anything you put out that kills the grass you've got there will kill the new grass as well if you use chemicals. The simplest way to kill pretty much everything off is to get the cheapest panelling you can find (used is great) in 4 x 8 sheets and lay them over the entire yard for a season. Old blankets will work just the same and so will old carpet. Anything that won't let light through. Most plants can't grow without sunlight. After one season, take off all the sheets and rototill the entire yard, then level it. You can just rototill it without the sheets, but you'll still get tons of weeds after - your choice. Then, when you plant gardens, etc. remember to put down a layer of landscaping cloth, cut holes in it and plant your plants through it.

[GRUMPY]

newspapers work good

[GoldDogs]

So, a whole season meaning from now until ... October? I don't know much about planting.

After its is all gone I want to put down new dirt and then re-seed. For some reason there are chunks of concrete in random place all over. I want them all covered up.

Does vinegar work or will that also kill new stuff?

[kitca]

well, if you dont want to wait a whole season you could cover the whole area with at least 8-10 layers of newspaper, put some soil over top of that and seed it. the soil really is a key in growing. start with good stuff. i like lemeux's (sp?) complete soil compost mix. it is much cheaper if you have a truck, you pay almost more than the soil itself to have it delivered. anyway. wet down your newspapers, add the soil then seed. grass grows best in spring and fall when it is cooler. but, beware, the dandilions will be seeding soon enough. you may even want to put sod down instead. i dont think sod will be ready for a little while though.

newcasa is right about using old carpeting but with cardboard or newspapers you dont have to remove them, they will just degrade. make sure to really overlap them if you do...any cracks and the weeds/grass will find its way through.

oh yes, vinegar will kill new stuff.

[Evil Monkey]

Bleach will kill everything too. Not sure how long it stays in the soil for though?

[icecapp]

I called trenbergs, on friday for sod, it is 2.25 per roll which covers 9 sqaure feet I think she said. but they are now taking orders and starting to cut in late may she said...

We ourselves are thinking of looking into the green spray stuff.. last flyer I got it seemed pretty cheap,

Mined you we just litterly covered over our yard on friday.. as it was grass growing through rocks, when we started the house 4 yrs ago.. it just seemed to grow and grow.. we actually had a nice lawn, but the house needed more fill, and we had the loam here to do it.. We haved covered over about 1 acre total, right now untill we do the back yard to...

so for us to walk around and seed it might be more benificial aswell.. then we will have to roll it to pack it in.

GOOD LUCK.

[kitca]

oh gaud, dont use bleach, youll kill everything like the worms and bugs and good bacteria!

[NewCasa]

Vinegar in the soil will throw off the PH. That will kill everything. Not the best idea around I think. If all you want to do is plant a new lawn, go over the lawn and take out all the big pieces of concrete or whatever, put down new topsoil to about 3" and either lay new sod or get it hydroseeded. No real need to kill the old stuff - laying new topsoil and sod over it will kill off pretty much anything just like old carpet would.

[chemicall]

Borrow, or rent a Roto-tiller and go to town on the yard. it'll end up dirt and you'll be laying down all new grass seed the next day.

[kitca]

youll still have the weeds and weed seeds there.

[chemicall]

sheesh, de-weed it with your hands and some hand-tools first then. Or would that be too much like work?

[GoldDogs]

sheesh, de-weed it with your hands and some hand-tools first then. Or would that be too much like work?

Uh, okay. Well, I am pretty sure Kitca was making sure I knew the seeds would still be there considering I've already stated I have no idea what I'm doing.

Where do you get a roto-tiller from?

[kitca]

well chemicall, have you ever tried to weed 20X40 of strait weeds? sometimes drastic measures are needed. kinda sounds like you were being rude.

[NewCasa]

Napalm. Works like a charm

[FuZzY]

i'm doing the same thing, i started with tarps the other day, but i like the carpet idea better, anyone have old carpet laying around they are getting rid of? and Yorkie, if our lawns are ready at the same time we can split on a weekend rental at home depot, unless my uncle still has one. and he used to have a roller that you pull behind the 4 wheeler to pack it, i cant remeber how big your backyard is

[kitca]

call around to the flooring stores for old carpetting. beware though, go for the canvas backing. the rubber is yucky and the plastic on plastic back shreds into long strings.

[Peety]

I know I have worked the land and used plastic to kill the weed. then raked tho the spot and tilled it again raked. Do that a couple times and you'd have a pretty good spot for a garden.

[FuZzY]

I know I have worked the land and used plastic to kill the weed. then raked tho the spot and tilled it again raked. Do that a couple times and you'd have a pretty good spot for a garden.

does clear plastic work? i have a roll of vapour barrier that i could use. if not i am gunna call the flooring places on my next days off