White Vinegar

• 1). Fill a large spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar.
  
  
• 2). Saturate the grass around the pool with the vinegar. Wait until the hottest time of the day to spray, preferably between noon and 2 p.m. The sun's rays provide heat that helps burn and kill the grass.
  
  
• 3). Remove the dead grass from the area with a leaf rake and replace with mulch, rock or other material.
  
  

Black Plastic

• 1). Unfold a sheet of black plastic on the ground next to the pool. Cut the plastic into 6-foot-long strips with scissors. Determine the width of the strips according to how far from the pool you want to kill the grass. For instance, cut the strips 6 inches wide to remove 6 inches of grass from around the pool, 1 foot wide to remove 1 foot of grass.
  
  
• 2). Lay the plastic strips around the above-ground pool. Secure the plastic by laying rocks or bricks on top. Leave the plastic in place for two weeks or longer to kill the grass completely.
  
  
• 3). Remove the plastic or leave it in place if desired. Place mulch or pea gravel over the ground or plastic. Punch holes in the plastic to plant flowers or small shrubs.