Turning area with grass into a garden area

What is the easiest and most effective way to turn my grass/weed area into a square food garden area. We don't want grass in between boxes. I've read that you lay down plastic and the summer heat will kill all the grass and seeds.

I'd like to just put many layers newspaper under my boxes so that later earth worms can get into my boxes but also provide the barrier and kill off grass and weed seeds. But what is a reliable way to first get rid of all the grass/weeds with out having to do a ton of digging? Mel mentions out door carpet to smother weeds. Where can I get some for cheap that is also suitable for outdoors?

Has anybody ever done this?

Thanks
Shelly in Utah

many people cut the grass really short, then put down weed barrier under and around the boxes in the rows. Some use several layers of wet news paper as mentioned, I think cardboard would work well also, is heavier duty and cheap, as in free, if you ask a store.

Cant wait to see!

I did the cardboard route, however, my area was a row garden that had gone pretty weedy. When I made the row garden, I got down there with my shovel and ripped out all the grass. I still have some wicked, random, DEEP rooted weed or a stray big ole grass shoot, but no major problems this year. I don't think it has much to do with the initial year, it's subsequent years that will be an issue. For me at least. The weed seeds blow around, etc...and before you know it, the area and boxes that were relatively weed free, become a nightmare of weeds. I'm sure in time, I'll have to do a weed barrier for all my mulched pathway....That's my two cents. I would think that if you did a scalping of the grass, then newspaper/cardboard only in the spots where your boxes would be, and then weed barrier for your walkways, you'd be more than good to go. I swear I thought I read that Mel recommended just putting the box down as the dirt could/would smother the grass....I see from experience that nothing can stop what wants to come through, but....ya don't know til you try, right?

You don't mention where you are, so what works in Texas might not work for you. If you don't want to use something like Round up, and if you don't have bermuda grass, the method employed here is to cut the grass very short, water it well, and cover with clear plastic for several weeks. Any weed seeds will sprout thanks to the sun getting through but they along with existing grass will be quickly baked to death. But this only works in warmer climes with lots of sun.

I used wet newspapers/carboard mix under my beds and it has worked fine except for the one adjacent to bermuda grass. That stuff is tenacious!