Weeds are problematic and no one wants to have a bunch of weeds on their property. Sadly, some areas have more problems with weeds than others, and you might even have a large area that is just full of weeds.
These weeds might look unsightly and they’re surely going to be causing problems for grass or plants that you’re trying to grow. You need to figure out a way to solve the weed issue so that you can turn things around.
Getting rid of a few weeds won’t be too hard, but handling a large area might seem like a daunting task. What is the best way to remove weeds from a large area?
Keep reading to get information about how to remove weeds from large areas. This will allow you to handle even significant weed problems and you won’t have to worry about weeds harming your lawn or plants as much in the future.
1 – Use a Garden Hoe
A garden hoe might be one of the first tools that you turn to when you’re dealing with weeds. Generally, garden hoes are great for helping you to turn the soil over and get rid of large swathes of weeds at once.
You can use a garden hoe so long as you’re dealing with a large area of land that is on level ground. If you’re dealing with a different situation than this, then you’ll need to use another method.
It isn’t that tough to get rid of weeds using a garden hoe. This is actually going to be one of the better methods to use when you’re trying to clear a large garden area of weeds in a timely fashion.
This will work brilliantly for helping you to get rid of annual weeds so that you can plant things in a specific part of your garden. It won’t be as good for dealing with perennial weeds or areas that have very tall weeds.
2 – Use a String Trimmer
String trimmers, also referred to as weed eaters or weed whackers, will be a lot better at helping you to deal with tall weeds. If you have a lot of weeds in your yard that need to be tamed, then you’re probably going to want to own a string trimmer.
You can use the string trimmer to cut off the tops of the weeds and make the stuff near the ground easier to deal with. There are many different types of string trimmers on the market, but buying even a standard model that uses a lithium-ion battery will do nicely.
It should be possible to get rid of many weeds in a short amount of time using something like this. You’ll be able to clear a large area in a timely fashion once you get used to handling a string trimmer.
The only downside to the string trimmer is that this won’t be getting rid of the weeds. It’s more for making things manageable and helping your yard to stay presentable.
If you want to get rid of weeds, then you’re going to need to kill them off or pull them out by the roots. Even so, a string trimmer can be an invaluable tool when you have a large area of tall weeds to deal with.
3 – Consider Using Weed Suppressant Ground Cover
It might be worth your time to use a type of weed suppressant ground cover. This can essentially smother the weeds and keep them from being able to grow.
Weeds need to have access to light so that they can keep on growing. Putting this type of suppressant cover over the top of the weeds will deprive them of the light.
Many people will buy special weed suppressant fabric from a retailer to do this job. You can purchase this type of fabric in rolls that will be easy to place into a garden area.
When you’ve covered the weeds completely, you’ll just need to secure the fabric to the ground. This is most often done using stakes or tent pegs, but you could also simply place bricks on each corner of the fabric.
With the fabric in place, you’re just going to have to wait for the weeds to die out. This method is good if you place it down for an entire season and just let it sit throughout the winter.
You should have a large area that is clear of weeds by the time you’re ready to plant things in the spring. It’s a method that works quite nicely, but it does require some patience.
It’s notable that you could choose to use cardboard instead of purchasing special fabric at a retail store. The cardboard will work in the same way that the fabric does, but it’s going to break down over time and you won’t be able to keep using it after it has done what it’s supposed to do.
You might find cardboard preferable in some ways, though, since it allows you to repurpose old cardboard that you have lying around the house. It’ll save you some cash, and it’s a way to recycle some cardboard that you have in your recycling bin.
4 – Use a Gas Burner to Kill the Weeds
Another idea that you should consider involves using a gas burner to kill the weeds. If you’re dealing with pesky perennial weeds, then this might be one of the best things that you can do.
That gas burner allows you to apply a flame directly to the weeds that will go all the way down to the root. This flame penetrates the root cells and damages them so much that they won’t be able to photosynthesize.
It’s a really handy method for getting rid of pesky weeds that have been giving you problems. If you’re dealing with a large area that is filled with perennial weeds, then you might like using a gas burner.
You can also use gas burners to target weeds with precision while trying not to damage other plants. It makes it a pretty versatile tool that is worth having in the battle against weeds.
5 – Use Weed Killer
It probably won’t surprise you to hear that using weed killer is a very effective way to get rid of weeds in a large area. You can simply spray a large area of weeds and expect to get good results.
Of course, you’ll want to use a powerful type of weed killer that is capable of killing the types of weeds that you’re dealing with. It might be a good idea to seek out a weed killer that is known to be able to solve your problem before moving forward.
There are many types of weed-killing products out there that you can consider. Some are simple sprays that come in spray bottles, but the stronger ones might need to be applied with a stronger nozzle and in higher volumes.
You might have such a big weed problem that you will want to get professional help. Some people will call in landscaping companies that can use very powerful weed-killing sprays that will get good results.
Whether or not this will be necessary might depend on how bad your weed problem is. If you have weeds all over the place and need help, then it might be good to get professionals to spray your yard and garden areas.
Of course, some types of weed sprays can also be harmful to plants and your grass. This means that you’ll need to weigh your options carefully to determine what you should do.
Bleach Can Kill Weeds
There are quite a few people out there who have used bleach to kill large areas of weeds. When you have many weeds in your yard, it might seem like a good idea to just do whatever you can to get rid of them.
You might even have stubborn weeds that seem to keep coming back even after using standard weed-killing sprays. As annoying as this is, it might not be the best idea to decide to use bleach.
Bleach can definitely kill weeds, but it’s also going to kill other vegetation. If you’re trying to get rid of weeds on your lawn, then you should know that the bleach will also kill the grass.
The same can be said of any other plants that happen to be nearby. When you pour undiluted bleach on the ground, it’s going to leave behind a hazardous chemical in your soil that can be very detrimental to your yard.
This could wind up killing animals and it’ll definitely harm nearby vegetation. Technically, bleach will kill weeds in a large area, but it isn’t a solid idea to use bleach for this purpose when other options will be much safer.
What About Using Salt?
You might have heard your neighbors talking about using salt to kill weeds, but this can be a bit of a bad idea as well. Salt can help you to kill weeds, but it’s also going to change the soil in your garden.
When you use salt in your garden area or on your lawn, it’ll alter the chemical composition of the soil. This could wind up having unforeseen negative effects on your plants and grass.
If you want to get rid of weeds without harming the vegetation in your yard, then you should avoid using salt. Consider using standard methods to get rid of weeds and avoid doing anything too drastic.
It wouldn’t be good to harm your plants and your lawn accidentally. You can get rid of weeds in a large area without resorting to using things such as bleach and salt to get the job done.
Vinegar
Vinegar is another thing that people have used to kill large areas of weeds. The problem with this is that pouring vinegar in your garden or on your grass is also going to have a negative impact on the vegetation.
Essentially, the vinegar will kill your grass along with the weeds that you’re trying to get rid of. This could be useful if you’re just trying to start from scratch and grow new grass the next season, though.
You can mix up vinegar along with some water and put it in a spray bottle. It’s very easy to use, but you just need to know that it can harm the grass as well as the weeds.
Final Thoughts
Getting rid of weeds in a large area isn’t all that tough when you know what you’re doing. There are actually a number of different options that will allow you to get things done in a timely fashion.
For some people, simply using a tool such as a garden hoe will suffice. If you’re only dealing with annual weeds, then this is going to get the job done nicely without causing any harm to nearby vegetation.
When you’re trying to get rid of weeds that are tall and perennial weeds, it’ll be good to have a string trimmer that you can use. These are great for keeping your yard tidy and they can also help you to cut tall weeds down to manageable sizes.
One of the easiest ways to kill weeds in a large area is to smother them over time using cardboard or some type of weed suppressant fabric. It takes a good while for this method to work, but you can prepare your gardens for next year by laying down cardboard or fabric that will deprive weeds of light.
Using weed-killing sprays is also a very practical way to get the job done. Stubborn weeds might require more powerful sprays, and you can even consider calling a professional company to get your yard sprayed if you feel it is necessary.
Just avoid using options such as bleach or salt for the sake of your soil. It’ll wind up having a negative impact on your yard that you will want to avoid.
Make good decisions and you shouldn’t have a hard time dealing with the weeds in your yard. You know the best options that you have available to you and can plan accordingly.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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