donn@hp-dcd.UUCP (06/09/84)
I just went thru that (a month ago); I rented a sod-cutter and cut out the bulk of the sod with it; in the really tight areas I cut out the sod by hand. The general idea is that the sod is about an inch thick, and below that is pretty tractable soil; rip up that inch, turn the soil, and voila: beds. (A 12" sodcutter will work to within about 2" of a wall or fence, and requires about 14-16" width to work in; they're tall, so the bushes can get in the way, even if there is enough width at ground level. Get one with convienient controls; I didn't insist on that, and it made the job a lot harder because of the difficulty of starting and stopping a cut. For some places one person pealing the sod back, and another cutting it loose with a flat-bladed shovel would work better.) You loose the mulch/nutrient value of the grass, but given the pain level of turning in the sod, it's easier to get some other "amendment". The one major problem is getting rid of the sod; it's heavy and bulky. Other than the obvious "take it to the dump", the best solution I've seen is to put it into a pile, cover it with black plastic for a year or so, and turn it into a berm. Donn Terry HP Ft. Collins. (Sorry, couldn't find a route to you)