Removing Grass by Digging

Set Up

• Before digging, it's important to know exactly where you are going to dig. Mark out the area you want cut out with spray paint. You're going to need a flat-headed shovel and a wheelbarrow. Begin by cutting out the area you have just sprayed. Simply dig the shovel into the the ground at as close to a 90-degree angle as possible, aiming to go 3 to 4 inches deep with each cut. Each time you lower the shovel, overlap your last cut a little bit, to ensure all parts of your outline are cut.

Digging

• Once your outline has been cut entirely, you can begin cutting out portions of sod. Pick a corner from which to start, and begin cutting out squares approximately 1 foot by 1 foot. After cutting each square on all all four sides, scrape your shovel under the sod; it should slide under without much difficulty if you have cut deep enough and evenly. Lift and place your piece of sod in the wheelbarrow. If 1-by-1 pieces of sod are too light or heavy, cut smaller or larger pieces of sod; just make sure they are not so large that they fall apart when picked up with the shovel. Pieces of sod can be layered in the wheelbarrow without being harmed.

Re-laying Sod

• One of the biggest advantages to digging up grass with a shovel is that after digging, the grass can be moved elsewhere and relaid, perhaps on a bare patch in the yard or where your lawn isn't doing so great. The small pieces you have cut allow for plenty of maneuverability when re-laying the sod. If you choose to re-use your freshly cut sod, lay it as you wish and then soak the grass thoroughly. Soak the grass entirely for at least two weeks daily to ensure new roots are established in the soil.

Specialized Tools

• A flat shovel is a tool that can easily be found at a hardware store. Spade shovels are also common and can be used for removing grass. But because of the design of these shovels, it is easy to dig too deep in the soil and get unevenly cut pieces of sod that are hard to re-lay. A harder-to-find specialized hand tool does exist just for removing grass from the yard. This tool resembles a shovel but is bent at an almost 90-degree-angle relative to the handle. The tool is designed to cut through sod with minimal resistance at an angle where anyone using it does not have to bend over and cause stress to their back.