sod removal

[cutntrim]

A maintenance customer is looking for us to create a front yard garden bed to run along the front of their house, down beside the driveway, and across the front city sidewalk. Currently the area is a healthy stand of kentucy bluegrass. It's only about a 300sq.ft. area to be excavated but I'm wondering what'd be the easiest, most efficient way to remove the sod. Spray it with roundup then till it under? Rent a sodcutter? I don't relish the thought of doing it by hand. What do you guys suggest?

[gusbuster]

Spray it with round-up and re-spray (spot treat) any grass that is coming back. Otherwise, rent a skid steer and scrape it up if you can get a truck in their to haul away. Sure beats breaking your back lifting up sod into a truck if not necessary.

If cost is an issue, the easy way to remove sod after killing it is to rent a sod cutter. This is a great and easy way to create a pretty level flower bed.

John

[mdb landscaping]

if it was me, id rent a sod cutter and rip it up with that. it makes an equal depth cut and you just roll the sod up and dispose of it, or re use it somewhere. you could do the skidsteer thing, but it will make more of a mess and a sod cutter could accomplish the same thing without as much of a mess.

[Atlantic Lawn]

I would think a sod cutter would be far more effective. Every time I've used one it has worked great and didn't really take that long. One man cuts another rolls and another loads. It produces an even surface for your beds.

[big mike]

sod cutter always works good for me

[paul]

For beds like this we bring in our mini excavator, dig it out, load it right into the truck and haul in new top soil and mushroom compost. I hate doing anything by hand losing money that way is too easy.

[Guido]

I feel the same as Paul. The mini-x's can do ANYTHING you can do with a rake or shovel. They leave very very little, if any hand work.

And this way you can load the stuff right on the truck. Only need one or two people tops this way to do the job.

But, I understand not everyone has the resources available to them, so if its between using a sod cutter or a tiller I'd go with the sod cutter.

Good Luck!

[paul]

I try to teach my "kids" well.:cool:

[cutntrim]

Thanks boys. Sod cutter it is.