Lawns are lovely, aren’t they? Until you want to build a veggie garden or a flower bed. Then you have a floor of sod to contend with before you can start planting your tomatoes and tulips. There are a number of ways to remove sod (grass) in order to build a garden. By far the easiest way to remove sod, though, is to use a powerful rototiller.

Rototilling is a great way to bust sod and build a garden because, unlike other methods that remove the sod altogether, tilling keeps all the organic matter right in the soil. As this organic matter decomposes, it adds nitrogen and other essential nutrients to the soil, giving your garden a definite boost.

Here are some tips for removing sod with your rototiller:

1. Define the border.

Before you begin, use a spade or edger to mark the borders of the garden you want to build. This will be especially necessary for curved borders. And for straight edges, it will ensure that they are straight and parallel.

2. Use a powerful tiller.

Busting up sod is not a job for a small tiller; you’ll need the big guns. We recommend the Pro model DR Roto-Hog Power Tiller. It’s powerful, tills an impressive 36″ wide, and allows you to adjust your tilling depth right from your tow vehicle, which will make the process much easier.

3. Remove leftover chunks.

After tilling, you may find some big chunks of sod still on top of the soil. They won’t be attached, but there’s always a chance that a few hardy clumps of grass will resist being broken up. Remove these by hand for clear, clean soil.