If weeds have taken over your garden and claimed it as their own, wrestling back control can seem like a mammoth task. In today's blog, we're going to talk you through the different ways you can remove weeds from large areas with ease.

You could just bend the knee and admit defeat to your new perennial overlords, content with living out your days as a mere tenant on weedy land.

Failing that, you could fight back and give these weedy warriors a grass-kicking to remember!

If you want to learn the best ways to clear a large area of weeds, you’re in the right place. Read on for the inside track on just how to remove weeds from a large area.

SOS: Save Our Soils

Before you begin the de-weeding process, you need to ask yourself one question (besides “Do you feel lucky?”) – that being whether or not there are plants worth saving.

If the answer is “yes”, you could be limiting your options as far as widespread weed removal goes.

Weeding a large surface area can be done fairly simply; however, treating a large area without negatively affecting certain plants within that area can pose some tricky problems.

Should your patch of plight house a prized plant, you may need to remove the weeds individually to avoid killing off the crops you aren’t willing to sacrifice. In this instance, the best way to clear a large area of weeds is to carefully remove them by hand!

Have a Hoe-Down

Any experienced gardener will tell you that an essential tool for removing weeds is the humble garden hoe. These come in a variety of forms, ranging from flat wide to diamond-shaped.

For large areas, hand-sized hoes are not going to cut it, while narrow-bladed hoes – like the Warren hoe and triangular hoe – can also make a real meal of the task at hand.

Instead, opt for a larger hoe, complete with a long handle and with a wide blade, such as a standard gardening hoe, an onion hoe or an eye hoe. This will allow you to break up a wider area more efficiently. 

If there aren't too many previous plants around, grabbing a hoe to remove large clusters of weeds is a very effective way to weed a large area.  

Take Cover

Another great option for large area weed removal is to cover the area with landscape fabric. This will prevent the weeds from sourcing oxygen, smothering the weeds into submission. Old carpet and black polythene will also work just as well, although they might be a bit of an eye-sore.

While these large area weed removal methods can be effective, they can also take months to kill off the unwanted weeds and there are few gardeners who are willing to wait this long. If you still think that covering the weeds is the best way to remove weeds in large areas, you could combat the eyesore by adding chipped bark over the top to help disguise the covering.

 Professional Weed Removal

Despite the tips and hints above, perhaps the best way to remove weeds from large area lawns is to enlist professional help and call in the experts.

There’s no shame in delegating the weed duties elsewhere. After all, weeds have a nasty habit of returning; ineffective treatment can result in unsuccessful removal and recurring problems down the line.

What’s more, weed removal can be a time-consuming process at the best of times, let alone when you’re dealing with an earthy epidemic that engulfs your whole garden. Save yourself the hassle and leave it to the pros.

Here at Taylor Weed Control, our cavalry of weed-whacking warriors come equipped with the heavy-hitting artillery, packing professional equipment, industry-grade pesticides and expert knowledge on how to use them.

For weed removal that’s efficient, economical and effective, call Taylor Weed Control today on 029 2039 7554. Alternatively, drop us a line using the button below and request a FREE garden survey today!

Request a FREE Survey

The infographic below provides a brief overview of all the common lawn weeds that we have come across throughout South Wales and the South West over the years. Some are more damaging and more difficult to get rid of than others, so we have provided essential information about each that you will need to know! 

Infographic Transcript 

Ephemeral Weeds

This weed type tends to have more than one life cycle per year, therefore ordinary weed killers are not particularly effective. The word ‘ephemeral’ means transitory or quickly fading, referring to the unique growth strategies exhibited by these types of weeds. In each of these growing strategies, the ephemeral weed has a life cycle timed to exploit a short period when specific resources are freely available such as low waters and wet periods.

Groundsel

• Grows 5-22cm high
• Lobed leaves & small yellow flowers
• Sets seed within 4-6 weeks
• Seeds germinate throughout the year apart from midwinter

Hairy Bittercress

• Compact plant growing 3-5cm high
• Tiny white flowers
• Sets seeds within 4-6 weeks
• Weed of cool moist conditions – improving drainage will help control

Chickweed

• Grows 5-7cm high
• Vigorous spreading habit with small white flowers and an extensive root system
• One of the most common ephemeral weeds
• Set seeds quickly – germinate easily in damp soil

Annual Weeds

These types of weed grow and flower in a short period of time. They tend to seed in the winter and come back throughout various times in the year, living for only one season, hence why they are given the name ‘annual’. The trigger for these types of weeds often come from a few wet days during Spring. Take a look a some of the most common annual weeds below.

Fat Hen

• Grows up to 27cm high
• Broad leaves with small indistinct green/white flowers
• Found on rich soil – seedlings germinate in dense patches
• Seeds persist for a long time and will germinate readily

Yellow Oxalis

• Grows around 5cm high but it a prolific seeder
• Seeds are dropped from barely visible pods before even noticing its presence
• Once present will multiply very quickly
• Often found in nursery plant pots

Prickly Milk Thistle

• Can grow up to 90cm high – often smaller
• Pale yellow flowers
• Seeds set in as little as four weeks if the plant is in a dry and shaded place
• Strong taproot, making it difficult to remove when established

Perennial Weeds

These types of weeds are persistent and prone to becoming more and more challenging as time goes on. Perennial weeds appear every year from the same plant and are difficult to get rid of. Many have deep roots which need to be removed but once this is done, smaller regrowth can be handled in an easier manner. These weeds have the ability to cause a great deal of disturbance to your lawn and garden.

Dandelion

• Can take 6-9 month to remove by digging out small roots
• Remove as much as parent root as possible to avoid the possibility of re-grow
• A common weed which spreads easily, they are valued for their medicinal properties and culinary use
• Leaves are diuretic which cleanses the liver, provide rich mineral content

Dock Leaf

• Look a lot more difficult to remove than they actually are
• Slicing through the tap root about 6 inches down and removing as much as possible will often stop it from re-growing
• Once seed heads mature, large clusters of brown seeds are produced – best burnt
• Friends as well as foe – Soothes skin stung by nettles by rubbing on affected area

Bramble

• Always look far more difficult to remove than they actually are
• Often grows with a tangle of long thorny stems
• Remove all stems initially and then remove the root
• Mulching helps after the ground has been cleared

These are just a selection of the common lawn weeds that you’re likely to find on your property.

If you do happen to come across any of these weeds or any other weeds that you may be unsure of, be sure to visit our website https://www.taylor-weed-control.co.uk/ for more information on our weed removal services!