Knowledgebase
Building a berm #868730
Asked May 16, 2024, 1:57 PM EDT
I am building a couple berms on my front lawn. They will be roughly 5 ft by 30 ft and 24 inches high. Can I essentially do a "no dig" berm and place the top soil directly over the grass rather than first removing it? I've seen mention of first placing cardboard over the area and then laying down the soil. I really don't want the work to remove that sod. Please advise.
Thank you so much,
Matt
Hillsdale County Michigan
Expert Response
Your ideas are correct. Placing a layer of cardboard over the sod will eventually kill the grass and suppress any weed seeds under your planned berm. The cardboard will break down over time and disappear. Just remember to remove any plastic tape or plastic shipping label holders from the cardboard before setting out the cardboard as the plastic will not break down.
Thank you for your quest ion and have a great gardening season.
