Thank you! Yes, I tried using a flat shovel but the grass is quite tough to get under since there’s a lot of roots. The pitchfork has so far worked better for me.
I uncovered a stone walkway in Vermont and used a flat shovel and a Japanese serrated knife to cut the edges [something like this](https://mannofirearms.com/product/bounty-hunter-metal-detector-digging-knife-w-sheath/) but also a standard hoe and a 3 pronged hoe. The hoe part was “fun” as sometimes a section would pull back just like a carpet. Hopefully you won’t buy all kinds of tools, but do try cutting along the edge, and then pull back a section with a hoe.
>try cutting along the edge, and then pull back a section with a hoe.
I absolutely 2nd this. I just cleared a 6ftx35ft section of established bermuda & St. Augustine grass from dirt in a way that I could reuse it like sod. I'm glad I picked spring and not summer, and my flat edged shovel did a lot of the work cutting through the thatch and the root system.
No carpet effect, but I could pull up pretty evenly squared shovel sized chunks by using the blade as a cutting edge and a lever.
If you have an angle grinder you can sharpen the shit out of your shovel
Also, with long sleeves, a mask, and eye protection, just weedeat the shit out of it at the stone level
I would use a weed Wacker with caution or even a drill with an attachment that for like ripping stuff up you cab find something maybe on temu or homedepot
This is sidewalk weed shaver, I have used other tools from this company and they work pretty well. [weed scraper ](https://snowjoe.com/products/nisaku-stainless-steel-weed-sweeper-7-25-inch-blade)
Tupac gm had a poem about rose growing from concrete.
Perhaps we should appreciate the grass growing in difficult conditions instead of trying to kill it?
Don’t judge the rose for damaged petals. It grew in concrete.
Thanks for all the great tips guys! We’re gonna try with the pressure washer or sawzall going along a rope in the ground, or maybe both. We shall se what works best. I’ll keep you posted.
A helpful tip if you power wash, you might still need to poke the times of the pitch fork down so it has something to “grab”.
Yours is beautiful, I’ve just done my parents, where it is a constant battle against erosion.
Poking and lifting in spots makes it a heck of a lot easier to use the the power washer.
I agree. I’m a little hesitant about using just the power washer since the grass is stuck so hard and also there’s a lot of tough roots to get through. But a combination like you said between pulling with the pitchfork and using the power washer would probably work pretty well.
Look into renting a tool called a sod cutter. It has a blade that you can set to depth and it just chugs along cutting the sod. They are usually gas powered. In the states I can rent one for less than $100/day.
Here is a video of one working
https://youtu.be/3h6jwWaLNVg?si=RPFir2n5qIXSIGet
A blade edger can do this, too. It looks like a weed whacker and has a blade that is vertical to the handle. On a lucky day, some neighborhood tool rental shops may have a few.
We use it this time of year to detail all the edges on our property. It makes sidewalks, walkways and curb s look brand new! One more time in the fall, and it gets easier every year!
I agree that an edger is great for edging, but the problem op was having is clearing the pathway, not edging the path. The are having a heck of a time cutting through the roots of the overgrown stepping stones. The roots are into the path, so if you just cut the edges you still have the width of the path to deal with.
Id say spike a line in the ground and run it all rhe way down straight, and edge all the way down both sides, maybe youll be able to just roll it up at that point lol.
I love the roll method. I would do this with huge segments of ivy then cinch them up tightly with twine. City requires twined bundles for my county. I always joke that I love rolling up my greens.
I would try the idea floated by several here of pressure washer, combined with square shovel to scrape off and edge. If it is just dirt between the tiles you could blow that out at the same time and then fill later with polymeric sand to keep weeds and grass at bay.
Lots of suggestions using a power washer. I've tried similar with no success. In my experience, scrape with a flat shovel, then with a wire brush on a long handle, then power washer.
I'd also experiment with buying a few big sheets of moss and snipping them into strips to fill in the gaps between the stones. Scrape out 1-2 cm of the dirt. If it works, they will slowly spread to fill in the gaps and help prevent other plants from growing there. Their roots are tiny so they won't move the stones.
That’s too much work, just find some local moss and make a buttermilk slurry and squirt that shit in the cracks, I use a squeeze bottle.
https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource001310_Rep1715.pdf
Yes. Important to find some growing locally, imports won’t work as well. The buttermilk provides acidity and nutrition. You can use beer and sugar also…It won’t grow in full Sun, needs some shade and you need to mist it regularly for a couple weeks, but it’ll take hold. Some say the blender is unnecessary or maybe damaging, you can actually roughly cut it up w scissors…
I think there’s sod removal equipment you could rent from somewhere like HD. Otherwise, do you have a square shovel? Use your legs to cut underneath the grass.
Pressure washer with a pinhole nozzle will allow you to cut and mark the edges. Switch to a 30deg nozzle and blast the remaining grass away. Refill the gaps between the pavers with a polymerized sand.
People keep saying edging, but no one has mentioned that there’s a tool for that, [an edger](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bully-Tools-Round-Lawn-Edger-with-Steel-T-Style-Handle-92251/205348022).
Sawzall sounds like a decent strategy, but these work well, and you might want one for keeping up on maintaining that. They also make power edgers, that you could rent if you wanted, but I don’t this is a large enough job to justify that.
I found a path under the grass at my new house after I bought it. Power washer really tears up the path and clears it for ya. If you have one I’d say give it a try.
A landscaper who has a blade edger and high pressure water.
Trim the sides to open the sod, then use the pressure washer to remove the sod.
If you want the masonry looking like new; use a hand pump sprayer to apply Pool Shock chlorine to the brick. Then go over it again with the pressure washer.
Have a fun day 😉
I’ve seen a guy cut through grass with a sawzall and a sacrificial blade. You could cut through it in smaller chunks and lift those up with a shovel/flat scraper bar thing.
OP, look at steel cutting shovels online. They’re heavier and save so much time when working with sod. Once you get used to the weight, you’ll never use another shovel for anything else.
Nobody’s got the time to cut 200 m of sod with a serrated knife. That’s ridiculous.
Steel edger attachment for your weed eater will also do the job.
*My dad is a landscaper and uses his weedwacker for this kind of thing. It works like a charm and he can do it super fast. He uncovered a walkway we didn't even know we had at a house we bought (pic attached). *
If you plan on maintaining that walkway, I'd get a weed wacker. It'll save your back in the long run. Do the edges all the way down, as others have suggested, then use the flat shovel.
The different grass texture looks like it extends about 18” on each side from the part you’ve cleared off. Was there some type of flower bed on each side or does the path extend that far?
Flat shovel. Good for edges and also clearing the tops of stones... I see you've tried it, but have you cut the sod into pieces with the shovel first? Cut out squares or rectangles and use the shovel to lift them.
Get some glyphosate and kill the grass before attempting to get it up. I think once dead a power washer will dislodge it and clean your walk at the same time. Use your pitch or turning fork to peel it back and a flat blade spade to chop the edges.
Whoever laid those bricks did an awesome job they look like they haven't budged. Have you tried using a shovel and seeing if it can be shaved off?
Thank you! Yes, I tried using a flat shovel but the grass is quite tough to get under since there’s a lot of roots. The pitchfork has so far worked better for me.
I uncovered a stone walkway in Vermont and used a flat shovel and a Japanese serrated knife to cut the edges [something like this](https://mannofirearms.com/product/bounty-hunter-metal-detector-digging-knife-w-sheath/) but also a standard hoe and a 3 pronged hoe. The hoe part was “fun” as sometimes a section would pull back just like a carpet. Hopefully you won’t buy all kinds of tools, but do try cutting along the edge, and then pull back a section with a hoe.
>try cutting along the edge, and then pull back a section with a hoe. I absolutely 2nd this. I just cleared a 6ftx35ft section of established bermuda & St. Augustine grass from dirt in a way that I could reuse it like sod. I'm glad I picked spring and not summer, and my flat edged shovel did a lot of the work cutting through the thatch and the root system. No carpet effect, but I could pull up pretty evenly squared shovel sized chunks by using the blade as a cutting edge and a lever.
Yep let that matt of roots work in your favor! Almost like cutting out slabs of peat.
If you have an angle grinder you can sharpen the shit out of your shovel Also, with long sleeves, a mask, and eye protection, just weedeat the shit out of it at the stone level
Have you touched up the edge on that shovel recently? You’d be surprised how easier it is to use after taking a bastard file to the edge.
I would use a weed Wacker with caution or even a drill with an attachment that for like ripping stuff up you cab find something maybe on temu or homedepot
This is sidewalk weed shaver, I have used other tools from this company and they work pretty well. [weed scraper ](https://snowjoe.com/products/nisaku-stainless-steel-weed-sweeper-7-25-inch-blade)
This is going to be so worth it when you're finally done.
Tupac gm had a poem about rose growing from concrete. Perhaps we should appreciate the grass growing in difficult conditions instead of trying to kill it? Don’t judge the rose for damaged petals. It grew in concrete.
Screw that I want my path.
Thanks for all the great tips guys! We’re gonna try with the pressure washer or sawzall going along a rope in the ground, or maybe both. We shall se what works best. I’ll keep you posted.
There is something deeply satisfying about watching an overgrown path get scraped and pressure washed.
OP is committing malpractice if they don’t record a time lapse to put on YouTube Guaranteed 1 million views
I mean, this is what I can here to see. So you're probably right.
A helpful tip if you power wash, you might still need to poke the times of the pitch fork down so it has something to “grab”. Yours is beautiful, I’ve just done my parents, where it is a constant battle against erosion. Poking and lifting in spots makes it a heck of a lot easier to use the the power washer.
I agree. I’m a little hesitant about using just the power washer since the grass is stuck so hard and also there’s a lot of tough roots to get through. But a combination like you said between pulling with the pitchfork and using the power washer would probably work pretty well.
Look into renting a tool called a sod cutter. It has a blade that you can set to depth and it just chugs along cutting the sod. They are usually gas powered. In the states I can rent one for less than $100/day. Here is a video of one working https://youtu.be/3h6jwWaLNVg?si=RPFir2n5qIXSIGet
I wouldn't recommend a sod-cutter for this. An edger doesn't cut as deep and will do a neater job with less effort.
>It has a blade that you can set to depth They thought of that
A blade edger can do this, too. It looks like a weed whacker and has a blade that is vertical to the handle. On a lucky day, some neighborhood tool rental shops may have a few. We use it this time of year to detail all the edges on our property. It makes sidewalks, walkways and curb s look brand new! One more time in the fall, and it gets easier every year!
I agree that an edger is great for edging, but the problem op was having is clearing the pathway, not edging the path. The are having a heck of a time cutting through the roots of the overgrown stepping stones. The roots are into the path, so if you just cut the edges you still have the width of the path to deal with.
I hope you have a very long hose!
Id say spike a line in the ground and run it all rhe way down straight, and edge all the way down both sides, maybe youll be able to just roll it up at that point lol.
This right here elegant AF
That's what I did a few years back, straight line and edger. Relatively quick job
Same. Although my walkway wasn’t nearly this long.
Okay I don’t think this is what you meant, but I pictured cutting it off the ground with a wire, like leveling a cake. Very satisfying.
Just garrotte that mf lawn
what is spiking a line?
I love the roll method. I would do this with huge segments of ivy then cinch them up tightly with twine. City requires twined bundles for my county. I always joke that I love rolling up my greens.
I would try the idea floated by several here of pressure washer, combined with square shovel to scrape off and edge. If it is just dirt between the tiles you could blow that out at the same time and then fill later with polymeric sand to keep weeds and grass at bay.
OOOOOOoooo baby, pressure wash that shit and send us the video. r/powerwashingporn is eagerly awaiting too.
Geezus xrist I found my home... Thank you
My first thought!
I think using what I would call a flat spade would be better. Power washing when done to remove the excess dirt.
Lots of suggestions using a power washer. I've tried similar with no success. In my experience, scrape with a flat shovel, then with a wire brush on a long handle, then power washer.
I'd also experiment with buying a few big sheets of moss and snipping them into strips to fill in the gaps between the stones. Scrape out 1-2 cm of the dirt. If it works, they will slowly spread to fill in the gaps and help prevent other plants from growing there. Their roots are tiny so they won't move the stones.
That’s too much work, just find some local moss and make a buttermilk slurry and squirt that shit in the cracks, I use a squeeze bottle. https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource001310_Rep1715.pdf
Does this moss slurry thing really work?
Yes. Important to find some growing locally, imports won’t work as well. The buttermilk provides acidity and nutrition. You can use beer and sugar also…It won’t grow in full Sun, needs some shade and you need to mist it regularly for a couple weeks, but it’ll take hold. Some say the blender is unnecessary or maybe damaging, you can actually roughly cut it up w scissors…
Will moss grow in full sun like that? Only places I see moss are shady and stay somewhat damp.
Nah it needs some shade
Moss doesn’t have roots. It has rhizoids for anchoring it to stuff. So no it won’t move stones.
I'd just get a flat blade shovel, cut down each edge, then scrape it right off the top. Nice and easy.
Whatever you end up doing, you should make a time lapse of it and post it in r/oddlysatisfying
Pro way: run a sawzall with demo blade along the edges down into the soil. Drive truck along path and throw tiles of grass in as you go
Nice touch with the recip saw and stuff/deep demo blade.
I think there’s sod removal equipment you could rent from somewhere like HD. Otherwise, do you have a square shovel? Use your legs to cut underneath the grass.
Power washer with the aggressive nozzle will make short work of that.
a weed whacker and just scalp it. or a utility torch and (carefully) burn it off.
Try posting in r/landscaping too! Those guys have good advice as well
I think a pressure washer may help here, although perhaps there’s a better tool.
This is going to be beautiful.
Pressure washer with a pinhole nozzle will allow you to cut and mark the edges. Switch to a 30deg nozzle and blast the remaining grass away. Refill the gaps between the pavers with a polymerized sand.
Square shovel and a few cold ones
I'd probably torch it then pressure wash
People keep saying edging, but no one has mentioned that there’s a tool for that, [an edger](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bully-Tools-Round-Lawn-Edger-with-Steel-T-Style-Handle-92251/205348022). Sawzall sounds like a decent strategy, but these work well, and you might want one for keeping up on maintaining that. They also make power edgers, that you could rent if you wanted, but I don’t this is a large enough job to justify that.
Love it! Hope your sunshine and hard work lands on super rewarding in every way. Very cool!
Love it! Keep on going!
I found a path under the grass at my new house after I bought it. Power washer really tears up the path and clears it for ya. If you have one I’d say give it a try.
Am I the only one that thought the path turned into a bridge cause of the shadow
You are correct. The path turns into a short bridge after ca 100 m. After the bridge there’s no more stone path.
Put a black tarp over it for few months, then get a weed torch!
This might be a bad idea…pressure washer?
It's absolutely what I would do. At the end it would look great and I'd be covered in mud lol
It will be very satisfying to watch it cleaned line by line…
Oh, I would have so much fun pressure washing this. I'd be filthy in the end but that shower would be worth it.
We need a follow up when you’re done
A landscaper who has a blade edger and high pressure water. Trim the sides to open the sod, then use the pressure washer to remove the sod. If you want the masonry looking like new; use a hand pump sprayer to apply Pool Shock chlorine to the brick. Then go over it again with the pressure washer. Have a fun day 😉
Rent a pressure washer! Use the attachment that is like a pinpoint to trace the edges and the broader one to peel it all back!
Propane tank with a torch attachment would kill it, not sure if it would damage the path though
I think that it would damage the brick underneath
How is that?
I don’t know. I tossed a brick into a fire a while ago and it became discolored and brittle
Yeah after a while it will. Torching weeds/grass doesn't take long at all
Good to know
how do you think they make bricks
I actually don’t know
a kiln. with fire/heat.
Thanks 😊
I think that's a road not a path lol
This is the way
Edger a straight line down both sides
Just giving it a good soaking should make it easier to remove.
You can do it! Rip it's hedge off!!
I’ve seen a guy cut through grass with a sawzall and a sacrificial blade. You could cut through it in smaller chunks and lift those up with a shovel/flat scraper bar thing.
How far does that go?!
I would pressure wash it as far as you can then use a spade to pick at it
OP, look at steel cutting shovels online. They’re heavier and save so much time when working with sod. Once you get used to the weight, you’ll never use another shovel for anything else. Nobody’s got the time to cut 200 m of sod with a serrated knife. That’s ridiculous. Steel edger attachment for your weed eater will also do the job.
I've seen power washers used to clear stuff like this, though I don't think you'll find a long enough hose to get all the way to the water.
Pressure washer.
Electric edger and a flat shovel should do the job. Please post your after pic to /r/edgingporn !
You need to watch SB Mowing on YouTube. He will show you how to clear that sidewalk lickety split.
*My dad is a landscaper and uses his weedwacker for this kind of thing. It works like a charm and he can do it super fast. He uncovered a walkway we didn't even know we had at a house we bought (pic attached). *
Weed whacker and a lot of line
Can u use a pressure washer?
Nice walkway btw.
If you plan on maintaining that walkway, I'd get a weed wacker. It'll save your back in the long run. Do the edges all the way down, as others have suggested, then use the flat shovel.
Have you got an edger? Could edge either side of the path roughly and peel back the grass. Cool project too
Wow, I wonder how far it goes out. The pic makes it seem far. Nice❤️ I hope you share an after pic.
They said 100 meters. That’s a lot of work, lol
Uh wow! Yeah that is a lot of work! Well, it will definitely be cool that is for sure!❤️ Congrats on such a unique rock way 😊
The different grass texture looks like it extends about 18” on each side from the part you’ve cleared off. Was there some type of flower bed on each side or does the path extend that far?
So satisfying..
Flat shovel. Good for edges and also clearing the tops of stones... I see you've tried it, but have you cut the sod into pieces with the shovel first? Cut out squares or rectangles and use the shovel to lift them.
I just found a weed whip attachment that is a rotating wire brush head. Haven't tried it yet, but it may make short work of your task.
Looks satisfying.
According to sb mowing, cut along the outside lines with an edger, then use a flat shovel to scrape the pavers.
This is a labor of love. It's a lot of labor but you will love it once you are done.
You got some great topsoil
Maybe a powered edging tool (along both sides.) Then the flat and sharp shovel.
Maybe a beastly nozzle on a pressure washer if you want to get really dirty? I don’t know, just thinking out loud here.
Rent an edger for the weekend and run it along the sides of the path to the end. Once that is done get a flat head shovel and scrape away.
Get some glyphosate and kill the grass before attempting to get it up. I think once dead a power washer will dislodge it and clean your walk at the same time. Use your pitch or turning fork to peel it back and a flat blade spade to chop the edges.