Kill your lawn!

Grass lawns are the default for most American yards, but a some folks are starting to realize there are other options such edible landscaping, xeriscaping, or low-maintenance groundcovers.  Better yet, go Native!

The continuing drought emergency in California is also causing some gardeners to rethink their water-, time-, and chemical-guzzling grass landscapes.

History 

Lawns as we know them may have originated as grassed enclosures within early medieval settlements used for communal grazing of livestock, and were probably not all that distinguishable from pasture fields.  

Over time lawns became popular with European landed aristocracy, but before the invention of mowing machines in 1830 they required enormous inputs of cheap manual labor.  Indeed, keeping a large, heavily manicured lawn showed that the owner could afford to opulently own and keep land that was not being used for housing or food production.  

These European aesthetics eventually took root(!) in America, aided by the romantic and transcendentalist movements of the 1800s (and by the Shakers, who in the late 1700s began the first industrial production of high-quality grass seed in North America).  Some experts also point to the rise of war memorials after the Civil War as having increased demand for large manicured lawns.

The geographic expansion of grass lawns was completed when these un-creative anachronisms were imported to the mostly-arid West as pioneers were replaced by suburbanites emigrating from the much wetter Eastern U.S.

How to kill your lawn!

Before starting, you'll want to ensure that your grand plan doesn't run counter to CC&Rs or other  restrictions in your neighborhood.  And while much progress has been made, some communities still view anything other than a lush green lawn as "weeds" which must be "abated" annually.

Once you've determined that you're going to kill your lawn, you'll need to first remove the existing grass.  Experts offer two main approaches: an organic technique that uses no pesticides, or a chemical method that employs an herbicide.

The organic method begins with placing plastic sheeting on top of the grass. "You need something that will totally stop the gas exchange of the atmosphere," Kowalewski said. "You're essentially suffocating the plant." In the heat of summer it could take 2-3 weeks to kill the grass.

The conventional (chemical) method is to spray a non-selective herbicide such as glyphosate on the grass in early morning and away from other plants. Apply again two weeks later to kill any dormant weed seeds that may have germinated.

Caution!  When applying garden chemicals, always wear protective clothing and follow the instructions on the label carefully!

Regardless of which method you choose, experts recommend scalping down the live grass with a mower, then scalping down the dead grass with a mower when it turns brown and aerating the deceased lawn.

 
Since living grass root parts will probably remain underground, it's prudent to completely remove any sod as well. A hand- or gas-powered sod cutter can be rented to separate the sod from the soil. Adjust the blade depth one-half to one-quarter inch. Afterward rake up sod manually with a square shovel or pitchfork.  This material can then be composted by using the 'heap' or 'trench' method, which will over time cook the roots to death.

Now what?

With the old turfgrass successfully removed, you're ready to establish your new landscape.  Good luck, and thanks for helping to conserve our shrinking water supplies!