We may want to remove an old lawn for any number of reasons, whether it be to plant a new lawn which is more suitable for the growing environment in question, or to plant garden beds, or install paving any other number of possibilities of what we may want to do with our old existing lawn that we don’t want anymore.
Of course for straightforward paving or concrete work such as pathways or driveways we may just opt to bulldoze or kanga the lawn out of existence in one fell swoop, to then proceed onto other renovations, yet for many of us we may need to remove the lawn in a more surgical manner.
Which may entail killing the old lawn completely to ensure there is no possibility that the old lawn re-establishing into a new lawn variety to yet be planted, or to kill off all the weeds in a pre-existing old lawn, as well as the old lawn itself, before a new lawn goes down. In such cases we want the old lawn area and everything in it, dead, so we can proceed with the new.
Glyphosate To Kill A Lawn
Glyphosate would of course be the number one option to kill all lawn and weeds in a specified area. This is a broad spectrum weed killer of a very powerful nature which will complete the job splendidly for us in little time and at little cost.
Glyphosate will kill any type of plant it comes into contact with, so we would always need to take extremely great care when handling and applying this herbicide, to ensure that there is no overspray onto any other plant in our garden. Be sure to follow manufacturers guidelines as to the mixing and application of the brand of herbicide you purchase as this weed killer does come in different concentrates.
Glyphosate can be harmful to people and pets, so be very careful to also follow manufacturers recommendations for safety for people and pets.
A lawn and all weeds therein should be completely dead within two weeks after application. If there are any remaining weeds or lawn remaining after this time then applying a second light application of Glyphosate would be in order to finish the job. It would be wise if we were to leave the area unplanted for at least another couple of weeks, and to water the area every so often to help wash away any remaining residue of Glyphosate in the soil before attempting to put any new plants or turf down in the same spot.
Eco-Friendly Weed Killers
There are a number of more environmentally friendly options available as alternatives to Glyphosate. I don’t wish to comment on or review any of these products as I am not familiar enough with them. A homeowner can track down these alternatives and research their efficacy if they so wish to pursue this option as an alternative to Glyphosate.
Suffocating A Lawn
There are many different ways we can achieve this goal if this is how we wish to proceed with killing our old lawn area and any weeds within it. The general concept is to cover the entire unwanted lawn area with something which will block out both light and oxygen to the lawn.
Thick black builders plastic sheeting is a common utility for this purpose and will do a wonderful job all on its own. It will block out light and oxygen, and if done in warmer weather will help to burn the grass with heat as well, adding a useful third component to help destroy the old turf area. This black builder plastic can be bought in bulk from a hardware or builders supply store. The black plastic would then be laid on top of the targeted area, secured with weights of whatever kind we may have on hand, and left for a few weeks.
Another option that some people will use is newspapers laid out and secured on top of the targeted area. Though on their own this may be a fidgety and trying option to use, without mentioning today’s ongoing lack of newspaper materials to use for this purpose.
Some folks have used a combination of paper and plastic together. This would allow for the use of a clear plastic placed on top of a layer of newspapers. In this option a thinner layer of newspapers would suffice. Once the paper and plastic has been down for a sufficient amount of time, then the plastic can be removed and the rotting paper left in place if using the area for garden beds. The grower would then poke holes in the paper to plant seeds or seedlings, with the paper breaking down completely within a short space of time, and after protecting the soil for a period. To reuse the area for a lawn again would require the paper to be removed.
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