Getting rid of grass

waterfaerie

Hi, we're just starting out and I'm hoping some more experienced gardeners on here can advise about the best way of going about this.

We want to replace what has been grazed land with private gardens. We have a massive area to work with and want to turn maybe about an acre of it into gardens. The grass is a mixture of types but there's definitely some of that invasive grass that spreads by creeping and not just by seeds.

The thing is, we want to get rid of all of the grass. The idea is to create something that consists of winding paths through different areas of planting with some features like rockeries, patios etc. in there and no grass at all. We have already created a wildlife pond and will be working out from that. I've attached some images of the sort of effect we want to create.

We're not really sure where to start with the grass removal. We definitely can't afford the amount of plants it would take to cover such a large area in one go, so it will need to be built up over time. We were thinking we could plant a manageable section each year and try to propagate our own plants as much as possible.

So, would it make more sense to get rid of all of the grass now? And what would we replace it with until we get around to planting? Or should we leave most of the grass and just remove a small bit at a time as we are ready to plant it?

What's the best way to actually get rid of the grass? We're not sure whether we should dig it, cover it, spray it or if there's any other way? I'd like to avoid spraying if possible but would consider it for a once off if necessary.

And in terms of the planting, I know the images I've attached are of more mature gardens. How would we go about spacing the plants so that there is room for them to grow but there's no space between them for the grass to re-invade?

I know it's a big project and we're a bit overwhelmed! I'd really appreciate some advice. Thanks!

Lumen

I wouldn't worry about the grass. As soon as you have bare soil, nature will start covering it. So you'll be weeding rather than mowing.

An acre of gardens with no lawn is likely to require an incredible amount of effort to maintain. You know this, right :-)

recedite

Forget about the grass. Think of it as your background/wallpaper. Just let it grow long while you work on specific smaller areas.
Making an effort to kill the grass would be known as "a displacement activity" by your psychiatrist!

waterfaerie

recedite wrote: »

Forget about the grass. Think of it as your background/wallpaper. Just let it grow long while you work on specific smaller areas.
Making an effort to kill the grass would be known as "a displacement activity" by your psychiatrist!

Thanks, we'll do it a small bit at a time so!

Lumen wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about the grass. As soon as you have bare soil, nature will start covering it. So you'll be weeding rather than mowing.

An acre of gardens with no lawn is likely to require an incredible amount of effort to maintain. You know this, right :-)

I was hoping to fill it with lots of natives and wildflowers so I thought it might not be as much work as more formal gardens. Maybe I'm a bit over ambitious and naive!

So assuming we work on a small patch to start with, when you say as soon as you have bare soil, how do you suggest we get to that point?

If we dig up the grass will it not remove a lot of the topsoil?

If we cover it we'll have to wait ages for it to die. Would there still be time to plant this spring?

I've looked into the lasagne gardening that permaculture gardeners do, but we don't have access to enough organic material to build up new soil.

I've heard about sod cutters. Would that be the way to go?

Sorry for all of the questions. I'm sure they seem silly to experienced gardeners! I appreciate the help.

recedite

If you want a wildflower meadow, get a farm machinery contractor to plough it and reseed. Basically ploughing turns the sod upside down, which kills the existing grass (mostly) but preserves and improves the topsoil.
But there is more to maintaining a meadow than just sowing seed. It requires a specific grazing routine. A couple of shared kerry bog ponies or dexter cattle could maybe be kept on it.
Is this some sort of eco village project? Take a visit to the one in Cloughjordan, if only to see how the reality is a lot harder to achieve than the plan.

Lumen

There's not much topsoil in the turf layer, it's mostly roots. But there is organic matter that you should keep (and not spray with chemicals!).

There are various competing theories about what to do with the turf and how much to dig the soil.

This might be useful...

http://blog.pennlive.com/gardening/2013/02/how_to_turn_lawn_into_a_new_fl.html

magicbastarder

going by the photos you've posted, you're trying to run before you can walk. slow down, and learn the enjoyment of gardening, and along the way you may find that your ideal garden could be significantly different than what you expected.

looksee

Those lovely photos represent a staggering amount of work, probably by full time gardeners. Leave the grass and plant a manageable area with trees that will be the backbone of your garden. The paths and borders can go between them later.

If you wish to clear an area you could strip off the turf thinly and stack it upside down to create raised areas. Tun over the cleared area and manually remove the thick white scutch roots. Add some organic material and plant it, but as soon as you have cleared it it will start growing weeds so be prepared to keep clearing it. Once the plants are established it will not need as much weeding, but it will need some.

Make a basic plan of what you want and where you want paths etc but then work on it section by section, don't attempt too much at once and be prepared for a fair amount of expense.

waterfaerie

Thanks for the replies.

Actually, we do want to sew an acre or two of wildflower meadow but that's a separate project. This is more of a garden with bedding we want, but we want the beds to look quite lush and maybe a bit wild and we want them to be quite substantially big, so they make up the bulk of the garden instead of just having a border around a lawn.

Lumen, that link was very useful, thanks.

I know it's a massive project and I'm not expecting it to look like those photos overnight! I just thought it was important to give an idea of what we're aiming for long term.

It may not end up being a full acre. We've got about 8 in total. We've already planted about 4 acres of native woodland in a sort of semi circle around the boundary from the northwest to the southeast. We've allocated another acre or so for produce. We've got a polytunnel, a poultry area and we've started vegetable beds. We plan on planting an orchard as well. There's a small patch that's sort of permanently flooded so we plan to gather some seeds from native wetland plants and spread them around that and just see what happens. Then we have about 3 acres left and there's nothing definite about how we'll use it. We want some of it to be wildflower meadow and some of it gardens like we're discussing here. We'll probably leave a small section for lawn and sort of a kids' play area. We're interested in habitat creation so if anyone has any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

It probably seems ridiculously ambitious for beginners but it's a bit of a dream. We're not in a hurry and we don't mind learning as we go.

About the grass, Looksee, that's great advice. We'll do something like that, I think. As for expense, we've probably underestimated that as well! We'll see.

recedite

A pond/lake in the wet area would be a great feature for attracting dragonflies and all sorts of wildlife.