Beginner Gardening: Have you ever used a sod cutter?, 0 by DaleTheGardener

DaleTheGardener wrote:
Tir_Na_Nog,

I lived and worked as a landscaper in Cental TX for years, Castle Hills to Northwest Hills (Austin). Shallow black clay mostly. My advice-don't bother trying to save and reuse sod. It is more cost effective to buy sod.

If you are like most of TX you have some bermuda grass in the lawn. Cutting it off with a sod cutter will not get rid of it because it has a large underground root system and it will resprout in your new beds. Easy way to start a new bed - chop up the sod with a tiller, cover it up with 6 mil black plastic and leave it alone for 3 months (if you have bermuda) or as little 2 weeks for other grasses. Then uncover it, water, wait for 2-4 weeks to see what resprouts from the roots. You may have to repeat the process, TX has some tough plants.

I can't remember the number of times I got called back to jobs by clients that insisted that I install the new plants without proper preparation. I would show up and see the salvia, blackeyed susan, etc. plants over run with perennial weeds. And then have to listen to the complaints that keeping up with the weeds was just too much work. It didn't help my reputation when I told them that it was their impatience that caused the problem. Gardening is not a 'hurry up and get it done' project.

I don't know if anyone has warned you about cedar mulch (it is really juniper). TX Junipers have oils in the wood that surpress plant growth. If you don't want plants to grow in an area it is very good for that, but, using it around your shurbs or perennial flowers will retard their growth.

Best of luck...