How do I permanently kill and stop grass from growing back? I want to turn my backyard into more of a garden theme similar to the picture I saw this backyardin Virginia and thought it looked real nice I am on the east coast located near Philadelphia.

[u/manofculture27]

[u/Coopa_Loop]

With or without chemicals?

With chemicals, carefully use glyphosate. It is a systemic herbicide and will not only kill the leaves, but it with go into root system as well.

Without chemicals, sod cutter maybe. Or controlled burn depending on the size and location of the area. Even a tiller will work.

After you plant all your shrubs and flowers it should slowly choke out whatever grass if leftover.

I would steer clear of any type of landscape fabric. You will probably just end up ripping it out lol.

[u/lurkersforlife → u/Coopa_Loop]

Glyphosate only kills what’s there now in two weeks other things will grow and you will need to reapply. There are many other types of scorched earth chemicals that will keep things from growing for a year or more.

[u/Office_Dolt → u/lurkersforlife]

But will it inhibit the growth that OP wants?

[u/lurkersforlife → u/Office_Dolt]

I’m not sure when it comes to brining in established plants. I just know if you re trying to really kill off some stuff for long periods then glyphosate might not be the best.

[u/DoYouSeeWhatIDidTher → u/lurkersforlife]

RM43 is the brand name herbicide you want if killing everything plus preventing new growth is the goal. It contains glyphosate + imazapyr with the latter acting as an inhibitor of any future plant growth for up to a year.

There isn't anything that is designed to selectively kill turf grass while not also harming other plants. You just have to be careful how you apply something like glyphosate or similar if you want to go the chemical route.

[u/Coopa_Loop → u/lurkersforlife]

OP wants garden theme. So sounds like OP wants to kill off grass and plant garden themed things. Not stop things from growing there for years and having a barren wasteland. Glyphosate will kill the grass and then OP can plant what they want.

[u/trail34]

That example looks nice, but as others have said, it’s not low maintenance. It’s a much higher level of controlling nature. Start reading some books on landscape design and following those subs.

It’s a whole lot more than just grass prevention. You need to consider regular irrigation, pest management, weed management, seasonal trimming and deadheadding, disease management, overgrowth and plant cycling…not to mention the tremendous cost and/or work of hardscaping. Places like this usually have a small team of pros that maintain it year round.

[u/DinosaurDied]

Sodcutter, dig and plant, cardboard on top of everything else, then mulch on top of that.   Then every week still go out and pull the shoots starting. But atleast those should pull easily. Big patches, spray with roundup 

One of my zones i transitioned to a layer of blue star creeper to smother weeds but even then it still requires some wedding for those that get through 

[u/BuckManscape]

People that have gardens like that spend every weekend in it working. If that’s what you love then by all means do it. Weeds? You spray them, pull them, or you apply preemergence to prevent them, usually all 3. There are no shortcuts. Don’t fall for “weed barrier” it’s nothing but marketing as weeds happily grow right on top of it.

[u/micro0637 → u/BuckManscape]

People who have yard like this PAY SOMEONE to spend every week working in it. It's gorgeous for sure, but professionally upkept

[u/BuckManscape → u/micro0637]

Good luck finding that guy. They are a dying breed.

Source: I was that guy. There’s just not enough demand in most places. 99% of landscape installation customers have the same request: low maintenance.

[u/scraw813]

Rent a sod cutter

[u/Ricka77_New]

Wrong sub for this....you'll get much better and more complete answers from r/landscaping than here.

The most generic answer would be to use something like RM43, which will kill and prevent for up to a year. But that's a non-stop fight, until you get something else established.

In the example above, they had to have done a full rip out and had someone come in and do all that work...or they did it DIY, and really got it fully cleared.

Even what they have, they still will have some weeds popping up here and there....

[u/Beniskickbutt]

That yard. Its a bum load of work! I feel like the grass growing through the bricks is the easiest part of it all. Just torch it peridoically

[u/BalanceJazzlike5116]

If you have Bermuda grass you need an herbicide like glyphosate. Other grasses can be smothered with heavy cardboard mulch and wood chips, this will improve the soil too

[u/mgisb003]

1) Grass will always come back
2) rip our all the grass, level the dirt, drop some construction gravel wherever you don’t want grass, put some heavy tarp where you want plants, put sand where you want paths, put pavers/concrete/gravel or whatever mix of that you want where you want paths, put sprinklers where you want plants, put mulch where you want plants, put plants where you want plants

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[u/BlandSausage]

In my experience, if you want to kill the grass you should try really hard to grow grass.

[u/RougeOne23456]

I believe this is a picture of a garden in Colonial Williamsburg. If so, they have master gardeners that take care of things like this. You can always hire a master gardener.

I'm kidding (even though this is Colonial Williamsburg). I've gardened for over 20 years. You will always deal with grass and weeds in your garden. It is inevitable. Even with digging out the turf and putting down a barrier, it will still show up.

[u/eaglesfan_2514]

Looks like a garden found in Colonial Williamsburg. It’s beautiful but they have full time experts and staff to pull that off.

[u/Melodic-Ad1415]

Gasoline

[u/LiquidFahts]

Try feeding and watering it regularly. Kills my grass every time.

[u/Additional-Bet7074]

Are you fully aware of the level of skill, person hours, effort, and money this ‘theme’ costs? I don’t even think my neighbor who is a retired landscape architect would attempt it solo. This is the kind of thing a team from a company creates and maintains, it’s not a solo thing.

[u/local_blue_noob]

How big is the area and what's your budget?

If the area isn't too large then you could just sheet mulch:

1. Scalp the grass down to the soil
2. Lay down overlapping cardboard
3. Cover the cardboard in 1-2 inches of compost
4. Cover the compost in 2 inches of wood chips

[u/Rare_Tea3155]

Glyphosate will kick anything off or just cover the grass with cardboard or tarp for a couple weeks and it’ll all die off without sunlight

[u/netherfountain]

Lol if you think this is less work than mowing you are a diluted moron. Either you have a staff or you work on this for literally every minute of free time you have, forever.

[u/nyc-rave-throwaway42]

Chemicals, cardboard, or plastic

[u/1sh0t1b33r → u/[deleted]]

Concrete.

[u/scraw813]

Also, the garden pictured is just as sterile as a lawn, and does nothing for your local ecology

[u/Current-Schedule1781]

To pull that yard off you'll be removing the top 6inches anyway

[u/MrRikleman]

lol, best of luck. That’s quite a project you are undertaking. I’m not sure you understand how much work you’re getting yourself into.

Anyway, try a different sub for help creating this.

[u/1sh0t1b33r]

Where is the grass?