How to remove Kikuyu grass for garden?

[Bissy]

I have just started putting in a native garden in my front lawn. The lawn is very well-established Kikuyu. I removed a 70x50cm rectangle of the sod with a square spade for the first plant. It was very time consuming, and looking at the rest of the lawn I’m wondering about a more efficient way to do it. I hear a non-selective herbicide like Roundup could do the job, but I don’t know much about how these poisons work and am a bit concerned about damage to soil nutrients, killing beneficial bugs and other unwanted side effects since the poison binds to the soil and doesn’t break down for years. Am I worrying about nothing?

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Bissy. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about removing a lawn.

Poisoning your grass will kill it, but it won't immediately make it any easier for you to remove. If removal is your prime objective here, and you are concerned about residual effects from herbicide, then you might like to look for alternative options. How big is the area of grass that you need to remove? If this is a very large area, then you might like to hire a turf cutter, or if it's a small to medium-sized area, tools like power cultivators can rip the grass up for you. They're also wonderful at turning over garden beds ready for new plantings.

If you kill the grass and then leave it for several weeks, removing it will become easier. Instead of using Glyphosate, you can simply lay some black plastic out over the area and leave it there for a couple of weeks. That way, you don't have to worry about any withholding periods or how long the poison will reside in your soil.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[Bissy]

That’s funny - I said “I’ll smother it with black plastic” to a gardener relative and they said “that’s ridiculous”. I think I’ll just do that after all. Thanks!

[MitchellMc]

Sounds good, @Bissy.

Black plastic eliminates sunlight and rainwater, and its colour allows it to heat up and kill the grass quite quickly. Just make sure you weigh it down around the perimeter so it doesn't blow away.

Mitchell

[Bissy]

I’ve pegged down some heavy duty black plastic sheeting to kill a section of kikuyu grass. Initially, I pegged down the corners and every metre along the edges. The wind blew the plastic free. I pegged it down again, at 50cm intervals. Blew free again. I pegged it down again with even more pegs, and used some heavy rocks too. Blew free again last night. I’ve just used my last 4 pegs to peg down the centre as well. If it blows free again, I’m out of ideas. I’m in Gippsland, it can get very windy. Does anyone have any clever ideas on how to fix this plastic in place, or a different non-poison way to remove the kikuyu? I don’t have a car, so can’t hire a turf cutter as I would have no way of picking up and returning it.

[EricL]

Hello @Bissy

Don't give up just yet, I suggest looking in the yard and in the garage for long pieces of timber along with any bricks you can find. Any heavy item you can put on the plastic sheeting will do nicely. Sandbags and loose gravel will work as well, however, if you fail to find any heavy items to keep the sheet down, I suggest using Roundup 1.2L Fast Ready To Use Weedkiller. Please note that this will kill everything it is sprayed on. Please make sure to use goggles, masks and gloves when handling this chemical.  

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Bissy]

About that roundup. Is there a sort of “paint on” version? Some of that ruddy kikuyu has grown into my raised garden bed, through gaps in the side. I want to kill it without killing the plants I planted!

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Bissy,

You can put those non-selective herbicides in a Yates Zero Weeding Herbicide Applicator Brush. That way, you can paint the grass that you want to kill. You've also got the Yates 200ml Zero Rapid Gel 1 Hour Action Weed Killer, which has a convenient applicator that allows you to rub it on the grass.

Both products should allow you to kill the grass without damaging your plants.

Mitchell

[Puddin]

Thanks for posting this Bissy I have the same problem and was wondering how to easily clear some ground. Will use some of the tips below. Good luck