How to sterilize topsoil existing lawn?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

When I was moving in to share a house 2 years ago, the back lawn was all Blue Star Creepers, lovely tiny blue flowers groundcover with tiny green leaves. It had been planted shortly before I moved in and looked like a carpet from heaven. Then my housemate/landlord forgot to water it and fried a lot of the B.S. creepers and weeds took over. He had used unsterilized topsoil and we figure it was infested with weed seeds.

Last year I worked at restoring what whas left of the B.S. Creepers (housemate works out of state, so I do all the gardening when he's gone) to no avail; weeds abounded. This year, all but some patches of the B.S Creepers died went when I went out of town for a few days. My housemate decided to let the back lawn go dry like the front one does every year. There are just a few patches of the creepers left that are being overtaken by clover (but I'm still watering the patches) and the rest of the lawn is yellow straw.

I am thinking of removing what's left of the B.S creepers from the yard and potting them in sterilized soil. Then using a flame thrower on the entire back yard to sterilize the soil, then replanting the creepers and hoping they will spread.

Does anyone know if using a flame thrower will WORK to sterilize the bad topsoil underneath the dried out lawn? I've put way too much time in on this, but miss the beautiful lawn so much. Thanks for any information or suggestions!

Featured Answer

emerogork

8 years ago

Depending on the area in question, how about putting down corrugated paper (commonly, but incorrectly, called corrugated cardboard.) Add mulch or soil over that then cut in the plants you want.

I have gained garden beds directly out of the lawn without removing the grass using this technique. It kills seeds as they need sun to grow. It will block about 90% of the offending plants.

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Comments (14)

tete_a_tete
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Are you hoping to destroy weed seeds with the flame thrower? It all sounds a bit drastic and I doubt it will work.

I googled Blue Star Creeper as I had never heard of it and it sounds like the sort of plant that will have no trouble regenerating itself if you give it what it needs. Water. Let it do the rest.

Sounds like a nice grass substitute.
snaveyram thanked tete_a_tete
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
8 years ago
Is this your plant?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1892/
It does look like it would make an adorable lawn, as long as you don't walk around in it w/o shoes on, or have kids who would want to play out there (the skin irritation part.)
snaveyram thanked Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
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ianna
8 years ago
there are machines which I believe can be rented out to remove sod. That's one way. Second the only way one can be assured compost can be fully cleared of weedseeds is for it to be composted for more than a year. In the composting process- the materials heat up so such that weed seeds get killed.

I am aware in farms when they need to clear a patch of weeds, they cover that patch with black plastic sheets and prevent the new weeds from accessing the sun, plus because of the heat, it kills off the weeds.
snaveyram thanked ianna
kimmq
8 years ago
The flame weeders will kill off the top growth of any unwanted plant it is passed over but that will not kill the unwanted plant roots and will not stop any "weed" seeds that may be blown in by the wind and dropped by birds, and the flame weeders use a non renewable resource, propane. A flame weeder, when used as directed, will not sterilize soil.

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snaveyram
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks, Kimmq! I've just written to a weed ecologist at UC Davis about this. I read an article ( http://www.garden.org/subchannels/landscaping/ground?q=show&id=77&page=1 ) that implies a possibilty that several treatments on water-saturated soil may do the trick. The water conducts the heat farther into the soil and kills sub-soil seedlings. You're probably right, but I have a glimmer of hope still. I really don't want to use chemicals and am not crazy about the idea of a rock garden.
snaveyram
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks Emerogork2(5) ! I will definitely look into your corrugated paper method. If I only had to deal with 10% of the weeds, I'd be in heaven!
kimmq
8 years ago
How long does it take to heat water to a temperature high enough to kill "weeds"? To heat both the soil and the soil moisture high enough to kill any "weed" seeds would take several minutes of standing in one place, not just a relatively quick pass over of the torch.

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emerogork
8 years ago
Boiling water is also a good idea. A car engine steam cleaner will work too. Simply cook the weed to death... Complications: You need 220v source and either long hose or a long 220v cable.
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emerogork
8 years ago
RE: Corrugated paper, It will stop most seeds from sprouting but strong established plants may still break through the barrier.
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snaveyram
Original Author
8 years ago
Tiffany, purpleinopp GardenWeb, Z8b Opp, AL(8B AL) Yes, the photo's from Dave's garden are the same ones I have. The photo on the far right is most like what my lawn used to look like with very abundant flowers.
ianna
8 years ago
then use a thick weed cloth.
snaveyram thanked ianna
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Sterilizing the soil is a romantic but impractical notion. It's not possible to kill seeds of unwanted plants without also killing all of the important wildlife found in healthy soil. Very few plants will grow in "dead soil," and new seeds will blow in & be spread by various critters.

Smothering is much better, for preserving that. Whatever method one uses or starts with, unwanted plants will constantly be showing up. Without periodic patrols to pull them out while small and easy to pull, a "weed problem" will develop.

You may not think soil microbiology is interesting, but if you want great plants, you need great soil:

http://permaculturenews.org/2013/09/20/soil-not-dirt-dr-elaine-ingham-talks-soil-microbiology/
emerogork
8 years ago
"Sterilizing the soil is a romantic but impractical notion."

Think Sahara Desert.....
Very romantic (:

How to sterilize topsoil existing lawn?

emerogork

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tete_a_tete

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