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If you use something like Round-Up, you'd be safe. When starting a new bed we mow as closely as possible, let the grass grow to about 3", spray with Round-Up. We do this twice, then when the grass is pretty thoroughly dead we till and place newspaper and hay over the bed. When we have a big area, we just do newspaper with stones to hold it down (hay is too expensive to use on large areas). Using plastic works great, but it also heats things up so much that it can kill beneficial worms and micro-organisms. If you plan on incorporating a lot of compost in the bed later, this is not necessarily a problem, since the compost will re-introduce the micro-organisms and the worms will find you on their own.
Texasroses gave you some good advice. I got in a hurry this spring and didn't round up one of my new beds and had problems with grass coming through all summer. The other I sprayed with Roundup and gave it a couple of weeks to die down, then tilled it good and raked all the roots I could. No grass came back. Be sure and read the label instructions on how to apply Roundup. If you mix it to strong it will kill the grass down quicker but will kill the top instead of carring it to the root. If applied right it will take several days before you begin to see the grass turn yellow but it will go down and kill the roots. Weeds are a different story, I don't think roundup is successful on killing the roots on a lot of the woody type weeds. I use a lot of round up and have found it to be a very good product if you are careful with it. I use it around the edge of all my flower beds to keep the St. Augustine grass from coming over the mulch. When used like that you use a low volume pressure.
thanks for all the info! Its been at least 15 years since I've had a vegetable garden and really had worked on the plot as part of the lawn! this year I did the same as Jim41, got in a hurry and tho I've had decent results, the grass is really thick! of course it doesnt help that eastern kansas went tropical this summer..my tomaroes and squash burst if i don't pick a little early, and my corn was not good at all...wormy and half ears.
I don't know about Kansas but we have to get corn in early or the bud and ear worms take it. Only way to keep them down is live out there with a poison gun. We ususally plant corn starting in March and not after April 15. Corn con stand a good bit of cold. Takes a real hard freeze to kill it. I'm sure your dates would be later than here.
I asked this question, and received this answer from Scotts:
Quoted:
Thank you for your interest in Scotts and for the opportunity to help you with your lawn and garden endeavors.
You may use Roundup Weed & Grass Killer to prepare a site for a vegetable/edible garden. After using Roundup Weed & Grass Killer you need to wait 3 days before planting any fruits, vegetables or herbs.
However, this does not mean that the weeds will be dead in 3 days. If planting the garden entails tilling, cutting, or otherwise disturbing the sprayed areas in any way, you should wait 7 days to make sure the product has had time to work.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in Scotts. Please feel free to contact our company anytime we may be of assistance.
Jillian Leiter
Consumer Response Representative
The Scotts Company and Subsidiaries
14111 Scottslawn Road
Marysville, OH 43041
