There are many thing to take into consideration before starting the grass removal process. How to remove grass will be determined by the size of the property and the slope degree. Take exact measurements of the areas were the grass removal process will take place. Make sure to kill off any weeds and grass before the sod removal. There are many ways to set up grades for runoff and or drain fields so the lawn wont hold any water or puddle up. After we have completed the grass removal process we can begin the grass installation process.
We’ll begin with spraying the entire area with a professional grade weed killer or powerful homemade organic weed killer. This is the most important process when learning how to remove grass. Allow the chemical to set in for up to 10 days before removing any grass, if the weeds aren’t fully dead after 6 or 7 days, respray to make sure everything is killed off.
We want to do this, so that majority of the root systems die out. This will set us up for success in the long-run. The grass removal process is just a surface cut and removal of the weeds and grass. Most of the weeds and grass root systems can go down as far as three feet. If we don’t use a pre-spray, the chances of weeds popping back up are significantly increased. The phrase that everyone knows is “the best offense is a great defense” this is true when learning how to remove grass.
After we’ve sprayed and determined the grass dead, we can start the grass removal process. There are three types of machines you can use, a sod cutter, skid steer (i.e. bobcat or caterpillars) or soil cultivator. The size of your property may determine the process of how to remove grass. If you have a large property 1/2 of an acre or more a skid steer or soil cultivator will be more efficient.
One downfall with using a skid steer is that you may damage irrigation rotors and heads. You might also remove a lot more soil than if you’re using a sod cutter and dumping fees could quickly escalate. Another downfall is the grading process and achieving proper slopes become a lot harder and require a great deal of skill is most cases. This type of grass removal process can become difficult for inexperienced homeowners. For these reasons, we recommend the average homeowner should stick to using a sod cutter.
When it comes to the grass removal process, set the sod cutter blade at the one inch setting. This will set the machine up to only remove 1” of base soil, and this will be plenty for a smooth and bare surface. Most grass sod that you’ll be installing will come with a 1″ base underneath the surface.
After you’ve cut all the desired areas with either machine, you’ll want to pick up the majority of the grass. If you’re using a soil culivator or skid steer these step wont really matter to much as each machine removes the laborious part of the grass removal process. Some people use rakes and shoves to clean the surface off, we find it much easier and faster to use a wide set pitchfork.
Either method will expose the edges that the machines you were not able to get to with the machines. To remove these edges, they’re a few different options. You can choose the good old fashion shovels, hard rakes or hoes to clean them up, or we like to use a stick edgers or weed eaters. The rotating edger blade and or weed acts as a mini tiller and speeds the process up significantly. The weed eater eliminates majority of the soil kicking back unlike the edger. Either option is faster than you traditional removal tools.
Once all the debris has been removed, and soil is bare, we begin our grading. In most instances we’ll want to attempt leaving a flat down and outward grade away from the house. Not all are the same and creating certain grades can be difficult, especially those with dramatic slopes and hills.The important thing when leaving slopes and grading is to eliminate any dips that will cause puddling of water. As long as the surface is smooth you should be in good shape.
For those who find this to be a strenuous task, see if we’re in your local area and seek our sod services.
This company is the absolute best! Great staff knowledgeable of their work . Super professional!
5 years ago
