Jenz:

You said "I can't layer in mulch and compost over the turf and let it percolate until next year (which I know would be preferable)." then you went saying you are going to purchase compost/soilnfrom a nursery..

I don't see why you can't layer up the compost/soil and make a raised bed right on top of the grass.. If you are getting compost in just make a raised bed right on top of the grass and fill it with the compost/soil and plant.. There is no need to dig the grass, the soil from the raised bed right on top of it will kill the grass and it will decompose and produce great topsoil.. Now if you till/remove the grass you are ruing soil structure and you aren't getting the benefit of the grass decomposing producing fertile topsoil.. Don't make more work for yourself.. Just pile compost and soil on top of the existing grass, make a raised bed, and plant! That's the easiest and in my opinion, the best for the soil and plants..

Good luck,
Joe

Just make sure you have a thick enough layer of soil/compost in the raised bed or the grass is not going to die and you'll have a mess! Make sure you have atleast 6" of height on the raised bed.. You could always lay newspaper and cardboard on the sod, then fill the raised bed and you don't have nothing to worry about..

Caution: be careful using blood/bone/fish meal or any animal products.. Animals dug up all my crops the first year I tried that! Kelp is fine.. Compost is choke full of nutrients.. Manure is good, but be careful of animals.. A good mulch of leaves is great as well.. You'll be off to a great start!

Good luck,
Joe

Thank you Joe! You are right about the soil structure - it's terrible. I don't think I'll be able to build up six inches above the turf level, though. I don't have the materials or the permission to make a raised bed of that height. What about if I were to cut and flip the turf and then add compost on top of that? Do you think that would be a good compromise?

I'm not sure where you are in zone 8, but here in Texas about the only herb that would survive a May planting would be basil.

How high will the bed be? I think that scalping the grass with the weedeater, laying cardboard and covering with your purchased compost/soil would be the easiest. You can plant in just a few inches of amended soil if you plan to mulch after planting. I am assuming small plants.

If you just want to dig, flipping the sod can't hurt unless you disturb weed seeds. The cardboard or newspaper would be a good way to deny the weeds light though.

Jenz:" What about if I were to cut and flip the turf and then add compost on top of that? Do you think that would be a good compromise?"

Why get into all that work to take off the turf, and then add compost.. If you plan on adding compost ontop of it top begin with, keep thebturf and add compost ontop of that! Just wherever you want a bed, cut the grass is low as you could, literally scalp the grass! Then lay a few layers of newspaper/leaves down, and maybe a piece of card board and put the compost ontop if that.. Mulch heavily and plant in that..

The quickest way is to:

-cut the grass short
-layer leaves/newspaper to smother grass
-pile on compost/soil on top of the newspaper/leaves
- mulch thickly
-plant

You could have all that done in one day, with little to no work.. By the time you could dig up all that turf and loosen the topsoil, you could have plants planted with my method!

You mentioned you don't have acces to materials to build a 6" raised bed..

What do you have acces to? You previously mentioned your getting
compost, so you do have acces to something.. Where are you getting the compost? How much compost are you getting? Why can't you make a 6" raised bed?

Joe