Sod-Busting

"There are certain gardening tasks that I don't exactly look forward to, especially those that involve heavy lifting," says James. "But I think one of the most thankless tasks has to be sod-busting--that is, removing turf in preparation for a new vegetable or flowerbed, a pond or perhaps even a path."

To get things started, James first defines the edges of the path with extension cords (figure C), incorporating soft curves as he works to give the path more interest.

Next, he sharpens the cutting edge of a square-end shovel with a file, following the original bevel along the edge of the shovel blade. James uses the shovel to score along the outer perimeter of the path, digging down to a depth of about three to four inches (figure D). This enables James to get a clean edge along the path once he starts removing the sod.

There are many methods of sod-busting, so how do you determine which method is best suited for you? James demonstrates three sod-busting methods, two of which rely on tools and one of which requires a specially designed machine. The first tool is the same square-end shovel (figure E) James used to define the edges of the path. By placing the blade at just the right angle, James slices through the sod and removes chunks of soil and turf (figure F).

"For the past 25 years, this has been my choice when busting sod," says James. Slicing sod with a shovel is hard work, especially if you have hard soils, but it does the job. However, a distinct advantage to using a shovel like this is that you can not only cut manageable chunks of sod intact but also scoop the sod and transport it elsewhere. In James' case, he transports the sod to a nearby wheelbarrow, and that's important, especially if you plan on re-using the sod elsewhere.

This next rather curious-looking tool (figure G) is designed to do one thing, and one thing only--cut sod. The shape of this tool allows it to slice through sod with minimal resistance. The curve in the tang (figure H) enables the user to work in a fairly upright position and therefore reduces stress on the back. James uses the tool by laying the blade flat along the ground and pushing it into the base of the sod (figure I).

"I must say that this thing does a pretty good job at cutting sod, but it's not without its drawbacks." For one thing, the blade is really narrow, which means you can't cut as wide a swath as you can with the square-end shovel. And another problem is, you can't really use this thing for lifting sod, which means you need a square-end shovel for that task anyway. "However, I know people that prefer this tool over any other when it comes to cutting sod. It's just that I'm not one of them."

The undisputed king of all sod cutters is this gas-powered gizmo used primarily by professional landscapers (figure J). Sod cutters like this are available to homeowners from rental companies that specialize in gardening and landscaping equipment. "I paid just over $40 a day for this model, and having never used it before, I'm anxious to see how it works," says James. "Of course, before I get started, I'll take time to read the all-important instructions."

The cutting mechanism uses a back-and-forth motion to slice through the sod, and the depth of the sod is adjustable. It definitely does a number on this sod, a dense Bermuda grass, but it's also doing a number on James. "This thing is tougher to control than an old front-tine tiller, and it shakes you up more than a jack hammer," says James. "Here's my assessment of this monster: it does exactly what it was designed to do, but it does so at the expense of the operator's health. It's heavy, awkward and pretty tough to maneuver, especially if you're doing anything more than cutting straight lines. However, if you've got a whole lot of sod-busting to do, this will definitely do the job faster than any hand tools."