“Kill your lawn!” has become a popular phrase and landscaping trend in recent years. Whether you are looking to completely remove your lawn or just renovate it, this article will give you useful information to help you decide how best to do away with your existing lawn and prepare for your new design.
There are many reasons someone might be looking to get rid of their lawn.
- Can be costly to maintain (water, landscapers, time, equipment, fertilizers, etc.)
- Aesthetics (desire a different look)
- Create habitat (plants for birds, pollinators, natural enemies, etc.)
- Replace groundcover (plant different grass type, install turfgrass alternative)
- Save water by using drought resistant or low-water needing plants
On the other hand, someone might decide to keep or install a new lawn for many reasons.
- Use by children and pets (soft outdoor area for moving around and playing)
- Can be low maintenance (compared to certain plant selections)
- Aesthetics (prefer the look of a lawn)
Whatever your reasoning for killing your existing lawn or removing sections of it, there are several methods you can use to do so, both chemical and non-chemical. You may also choose to use a combination of both.
Sheet mulching
A low-cost method for killing your lawn is to cover it with cardboard or several layers of newspaper. Closely mow the grass and place 1 to 3 layers of unwaxed cardboard or newspaper on top to prevent sunlight from allowing the grass to grow. Top with 1 to 2 inches of compost and 3 to 4 inches of mulch.
Soil solarization
This method works to “cook” the existing lawn by trapping heat from the sun under a clear plastic tarp. Intense sunlight and high temperatures are required for this method, so it is best done in the summer, in areas that receive full sun. Cloudy or foggy regions, or shady parts of the yard won't be as effectively killed. Dig out or closely mow the existing lawn. Wet the soil in the area that you intend to cover. Tightly cover with a clear plastic tarp. Leave the tarp on for 4 to 6 weeks, and maintain soil temperature below the tarp between 110º to 125°F. For more in-depth soil solarization instructions and information, see the UC IPM Pest Notes: Soil Solarization for Gardens & Landscapes.
Hand-digging or machine use
You can remove a lawn manually by digging it out, using a sod cutter, or using a rototiller machine. These methods are more physically demanding so they are better for smaller spaces. Moisten the soil prior to removal to make it easier to dig or cut out. To dig out your lawn, use a flat shovel and dig parallel to the soil to remove the top 1 to 2 inches of lawn. A sod cutter can be rented to similarly remove the top 1 to 2 inches by cutting the lawn into strips.
Herbicide application
One of the quickest and less labor-intensive ways to kill an existing lawn is to apply a nonselective, systemic herbicide like diquat or glyphosate that will kill most weeds and the turfgrass and their roots. It may take up to 7 days after the application for the grass to completely absorb the material and plant damage to start showing. Depending on temperature, it can take up to 2 weeks for the entire lawn to die.
Herbicides that work on contact like acetic acid (vinegar) and ammonium salt of fatty acid (herbicidal soap) are not as efficient as they do not kill weeds and grasses to the root. Multiple applications of the contact herbicide are likely needed as well as hand-removing the plant material.
For more detailed information on lawn removal see Lawn Removal Methods by the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County.
You've successfully killed your lawn, now what?
If you want to reestablish your lawn and reseed, you'll need to think about irrigation, amending the soil (if needed), and choosing a grass variety that is best suited for your area and goals. To learn more about lawn renovation and how to establish and care for a new lawn, see the UC Guide to Healthy Lawns. If you're considering installing artificial turf (fake grass), evaluate the risks involved by visiting https://gba.org/blog/artificial-turf-fields-health-and-environmental-concerns/.
If you'd like to replace your lawn with mulch or rocks, see our Mulch resource page to learn about this option. Prior to applying wood or rock mulch to an area, you may want to place landscape fabric or sheet mulch (cardboard or paper) over the soil to prevent weeds and grasses from growing.
If you wish to replace your lawn with an alternative, like clover or thyme, see the Lawn & Lawn Alternatives resource from the UC Marin County Master Gardeners. For more information about replacing your lawn with flowering plants to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, or reduce water use, visit:
- UC Master Gardeners
- UC Davis Arboretum's Planting Plans
- California Native Plant Society's Native Plant Lists and Planners
- UC IPM Insectary Plants
- CA. Department of Water Resources Water Efficient Landscaping
Keep in mind that none of these methods will absolutely prevent weeds and grasses from invading your lawn or landscaped areas in the future. Keeping weeds out and preventing undesirable grassy areas from regrowing, requires diligence and a combination of control methods. To learn more about weed management in landscaped areas, see the UC IPM Pest Notes: Weed Management in Landscapes. For weed management in lawns, see the UC IPM Pest Notes: Weed Management in Lawns.
/h2>- Author: Janet Hartin
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
Your customers want their lawns to be beautiful and functional (Figure 1) but dead patches or other problems sometimes occur. Figuring out the cause of turfgrass damage can be a challenge since many plant pathogens affect grasses as well as numerous abiotic (non-living) disorders. can impact the quality of lawns, playing fields, and other turf areas.
Keeping turfgrass healthy is essential for reducing damage due to both diseases and abiotic disorders. Following recommended practices regarding irrigation scheduling, integrated pest management, fertility, mowing height, soil aeration, and other measures is your customer's best line of defense.
Identify the cause of unhealthy grass
Ask your customer the following questions to help determine whether the cause is due to abiotic or biotic issues.
- Is the problem confined to one area or across the entire lawn?
- When did the problem begin? Could it be seasonal?
- Have there been unusual changes in the climate or microclimate?
- What are the lawn care practices? Have there been recent changes?
Some answers to these questions include:
- Too much or too little water that may impact several plant species irrigated on the same valve as the turf.
- Herbicide injury and fertilizer applications can also impact several plant species growing in the lawn area.
- Many fungi resulting in plant diseases are confined to one species of turf and often do not impact surrounding plants.
Knowing that damage from abiotic causes does not spread can be helpful. Disease and insect infestations almost always spread outward from the initial point of damage. Also, diseases and insects can often be identified by specific symptoms.
In addition to the symptoms, damage from diseases often leave telltale signs of the pathogen. Examples include light colored cotton-like growth on leaves, areas of chlorotic (yellow) grass surrounding healthy appearing grass, rotted roots and crowns, and hard structures called sclerotia.
Common Causes of Abiotic Disorders
Nutrients. While over-fertilized lawns often show no damage symptoms, nitrogen-deficient lawns appear chlorotic, thin, and are more prone to fungal diseases such as dollar spot. Most turfgrass needs nitrogen fertilization during the active growing season to stay healthy and attractive. For specific turf recommendations, see the UC Guide to Healthy Lawns at ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/
Micronutrients such as iron and zinc may also be required. Keep in mind that these and other micronutrients may be temporarily “tied up” in the soil due to high pH (alkaline) but become available to the plant if pH is reduced by adding sulfur or ammonium sulfate.
Another common type of fertilizer damage occurs from uneven application of nitrogen-containing fertilizers across the turf. This results in streaks of dark green grass next to skipped areas that remain light green and later turn yellow (Figure 3).
Dog Urine. Damage from animal urine (especially dogs) occurs most often on dry turf, especially during periods of high temperatures and prolonged drought. Cool season grasses tend to be more impacted since they require 25% more water than warm season grasses. Damaged turf appears wilted and grayish-green initially. Soon it becomes brown and may die depending on concentration, type of grass, turf hydration, and water leaching. Typical damage is a small center of brown grassless than 6 inches apart surrounded by a dark green ring (Figure 4). Contrary to popular lore, female dogs are not the only canine culprit, since puppies of both sexes squat the first year or so of life.
While damage from animal urine can resemble that from dollar spot and other fungal diseases, it has a darker green outer ring that is often much taller than the surrounding grass and does not have fungal structures called mycelium (Figure 4).
For specific information on managing lawn damage caused by dog urine, see UC ANR Publication 8255 “Lawns ‘n' Dogs” at anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=8255.
Remember that proper turf maintenance can greatly reduce the incidence of abiotic and biotic disorders and that more than one factor may be responsible for the damage. Since both insects and diseases often attack plants already stressed by abiotic factors, addressing abiotic disorders is essential to reducing the impact of insects and diseases. Grass that is already suffering from abiotic disorders can be susceptible to disease. This can result in pest and disease outbreaks that otherwise may have been avoided. See to ipm.ucanr.edu for UC IPM Pest Notes that can help you identify both biotic and abiotic problems.
[Original article published in the Spring 2020 issue of the Retail Newsletter]
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Keep your lawn healthy during summer and throughout the year by learning more about proper mowing, watering, pest control, and maintenance. To do this, refer to the UC Guide to Healthy Lawns, an online publication specifically about lawn care.
What's Your Grass Type?
Knowing what kind of turfgrass you have can help you determine the best way to take care of it since different grass species often have different needs or pest issues. Use the Turf Species guide for identification help. Common turfgrass species that are best adapted to California conditions include Bermudagrass, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, St. Augustinegrass, and various fescues.
Watering
Once you've identified the grass species or blend of species in your lawn, choose your location from the Schedule your Irrigation page. Then select turfgrass type followed by sprinkler output. This will show monthly irrigation recommendations based on your location in the state.
In general, established lawns should be watered deeply but infrequently; two to three times per week should be sufficient. Water in the early morning when evaporation and wind are minimal. Watering in the evening can leave grass wet at night and increase the possibility of disease.
Mowing
Mowing grass properly means doing it the right way and using well-maintained equipment. Determine when and how frequently to mow by reading the Mowing page. Also, you may want to consider grasscycling, a method used to release nutrients back into the soil.
Fertilizing
Grass should be fertilized when it's actively growing. The When to Fertilize page recommends best application times based on your area and turfgrass species.
For much more information on how to care for and maintain healthy lawns and turfgrass, visit the Established Lawns page.
- Author: Dustin Blakey
As I was driving my kids to school recently, I noticed that a landscape on the way was irrigating its dormant turf. It had rained the night before. That seemed really unnecessary. Later that day I saw another landscape (with green grass) had a head spraying out into the street. I see irrigation problems almost every day but for some reason that memory stuck.
As a community, we tend to irrigate our landscapes poorly, but we can do better. Ideally we should apply just what our plants need plus maybe a little extra to make up for variability in our sprinkler system. It's not uncommon for a landscape in Bishop to use 2 or 3 times the water it needs. Assuming that water makes it on to the lawn. Last summer there was a small creek along the curb in my neighborhood every morning from someone's broken irrigation up the street. And to be fair, I have a head that often gets flipped backward and then waters the driveway.
Maybe in a future post we can cover how much water our lawns need and how often to run the system, but today I think a good place to start is how to make sure your system is working correctly. Rain Bird has a nice spring checklist, but the process should involve a bit more.
A good practice is to begin the season with an irrigation audit. This is a process where we check to make sure everything is working as it should, and we check the output of our sprinklers to make sure they are uniform. Uniform application saves water since we don't have to over apply water to get the dry places wet enough.
All irrigation audits start by running the system and making sure sprinkler heads are working and pointing over grass. This is usually simple to address. You may need a small screwdriver to make some adjustments but that's about it.
From there you can choose how complicated you want to be. Commercial turf managers will audit their systems using at least 20 special catch cans to measure the system's output and variability. That's probably over-kill at home.
Oklahoma State Cooperative Extension has a very simple version of this test that will tell you each sprinkler zone's output in inches per hour using tuna or cat food cans. This will allow you to set your sprinkler system to water just the amount the lawn needs rather than "15 minutes every day" type scheduling. They even include a short video. SIMPLE AUDIT LINK.
If you use this system I'd recommend looking at each can to see if they are about the same level. If they vary a lot, you may need to consider some maintenance on the system. As a rule, most sprinklers are designed to have head-to-head coverage in their pattern. If your system does something else--that's common around Bishop--expect a lot more variability.
At the very least, run your system and watch it for a few minutes. Put a catch can or 2 of any type with straight sides on for one cycle to confirm how much water you're applying. Sticking a ruler in is a good way to measure. You may be applying more or less than you think!
If you are interested in figuring out out to properly schedule up your irrigation, the Master Gardeners can help with that, but we will need to know each zone's output in inches per hour. You can contact us at immg@ucanr.edu.
In mid-March, many people use clover-themed decorations in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. Many gardens and landscaped areas are “decorated” with clovers too, especially with recent rains and mild temperatures in much of California. For some people, clovers are considered weeds, but others enjoy the green color they bring!
Clovers begin to germinate in the fall and continue throughout winter and early spring. Their bright green leaves can blemish the look of lawns and may be unsightly when found in ornamental plantings.
Clovers growing in lawns or landscapes are often a sign of low soil nitrogen, so changing fertilization can help prevent their growth. Read the UC IPM publication Pest Notes: Clovers for much more information about identifying clovers and how to manage them.