Any advice on the easiest way to remove sod from topsoil?

I'm trying to plant a garden in my backyard which has a lot of long weed-grass and regular grass. I have been using a shovel to dig under the grass and toss it to the side, but it is hard work and I have blisters! I was like, dude, this hurts! So is there an easier way to remove this **** from the top so I can get my farming on?Any advice on the easiest way to remove sod from topsoil?
Dynamite and OJ shampoop.Any advice on the easiest way to remove sod from topsoil?
Here is what I did.


Rent a good rototiller and just let the grass and all get mixed up into the soil. Till it really good to the ground is pretty fine .


Then get a plastic ground cover for a garden. Lay it on the garden and tack it down with 5 inch tack nails. Then cut slits where you want to put your plants and then plant away.


Really easy and it works to.With out all that back breaking pain.





PS:You might want to pick up any big clumps of grass you see. And just toss away. But if you tilled it really good. Then you really shouldn't have many clumps.


Good Luck
I love my scuffle hoe! It will clear away the grass and weeds in a matter of minutes. It's a workout but not like trying to dig.





This is how it looks:


http://images.lowes.com/product/converte鈥?/a>





That stirrup looking thing is actually a blade that cuts the grass and weeds at root level. You just shuffle it ( or scuffle it ) back and forth across the ground and the blade does all the work. I wouldn't be without it. I use it for neatening up the edge of flowerbeds, clearing for new plantings, weeding. It's awesome. The one pictured is available at Lowes but any hardware/gardening store worth its' weight will carry them. It will cost you $15-20.
you can get a tiller you can rent them from some garden stores .....that will help alot..thats what we had some guy do ...we also have a hand held one that attaches to our gas weed eater that works as well.but we had a huge area..and the hand held wasnt the tool for that job..it is for the weeds now...
i laid newspaper or cardboard down for a couple of weeks, and just dirt was left. last year i need to do it quickly so i used grass killer. that worked well. after the grass is dead you have to till.
The easiest thing to do would be to rototill everything into the soil. If you have grass clipping I would mix that in as well.
Why not rent a turf cutter? It will take it right up for you





http://www.hss.com/index.php?p=62356
when you cut out a piece of grass shake the dirt out, bang the grass on the ground where you want the dirt