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Experts: kill turf completely, call 811 before digging and add compost to improve soil for waterwise landscapes
Summary
Weber Basin expert David Rice and Utah Division of Water Resources staff outlined four primary methods to remove lawn—solarization, herbicide, mechanical removal and tilling—urged callers to contact 811 before digging, and recommended organic matter (compost) as the primary soil amendment.
David Rice, water conservation manager at the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, walked webinar attendees through methods to remove turf and prepare soil for waterwise landscaping, emphasizing thorough eradication of turf and care around mature trees. “I will want to emphasize, you need to make sure the lawn is dead and go deep enough to get roots out,” Rice said.
Rice described four broad approaches: solarization (clear plastic covers left in place for several weeks to “cook” the turf), herbicide application (noting glyphosate is the primary active ingredient in many products), mechanical removal with sod cutters or small excavators, and tilling after the turf is verified dead. He warned that solarization and other methods take time: “Solarizing is not like a 3 or 4 day thing. This is weeks long.”
Rice advised caution around trees and irrigation infrastructure. He said homeowners should “call 811” before digging to have underground utilities located and warned that shallow buried lines can still be damaged. He also recommended marking existing sprinkler heads before mechanical removal so irrigation lines can be capped or converted rather than accidentally broken.
On herbicides, Rice described glyphosate as a common nonselective option and cautioned about formulations: "The primary ingredient for most herbicides that are gonna do this is glyphosate." He advised following label instructions and noted many applications require two passes to ensure deep-rooted turf is dead. He also cautioned that some branded products now include additional ingredients and that those mixtures can have longer soil residuals.
For soil preparation, Rice emphasized adding organic matter as the best amendment for nearly all Utah soils. “The best soil amendment for any soil is organic matter,” he said, and advised mixing compost into the surface to the depth possible. He offered application guidance discussed in the webinar: light topdressing for existing lawn, about 1 inch per year for ordinary maintenance, 2–3 inches of low-salt compost where heavier amendment is needed, and working compost into the soil as deeply as practical (Rice cited 6–12 inches where feasible). He recommended a soil test through the Utah State University Extension office for homeowners uncertain about texture or nutrient needs.
Rice also addressed special cases: bermudagrass and alfalfa are difficult to eradicate and may require repeated chemical or mechanical treatments; solarization is less reliable for deep-rooted, resilient species. He urged homeowners to avoid damaging mature trees when removing adjacent turf and suggested using cardboard shields or careful hand removal where roots and sprouts are present.
No formal policy decisions were made in the webinar—presenters provided technical guidance, program contacts and resources for residents planning conversions.
