As I see it you have basically three things you can do. One let it grow up in weeds, plant grass or ground cover, or mulch it and fill it with flowering bushes and perennial flowers. I would mulch it.

You did not show the rest of you lot but it looks like you have some trees, Do not remove the leaves and add what ever mulch you can find.. Below are two pictures of the same are about 10 years a part. The second picture was taken in he spring, and the summer flower had not yet started to grow. In the late summer, the area will have dozen of butterfly.. We always have many birds and squirrels. We even had a young buck come to the feeder to eat and rest.

Every year I place as much mulch I as I can in to the area. While most leaves, I have used pine straw and wood chips. To day there is a layer of good soil above the clay in the first picture. The ground was so hard that the first plantings in my lot was done with a Mattock.

@Illini Fan, you referred to the expense of mulching. Take your time and find free or almost-free (eg just some delivery charge or your time) materials. Wood chips and yard waste compost (municipal are the usual suspects).

You don't really need 'high quality' mulch. Volume matters - you'll want far more than you think, and it'll be pretty hard to overdo it (not two feet deep, mind). You don't need any 'soil mix' - 100% organic materials are fine. It doesn't need to be 'well composted' or rich manure or whatever, at least in the first instance - volume. Also woody/leafy materials will last longer in those conditions (wood chips more so).

You could mow them down, but they will grow back unless you mulch them. Use newspapers, shredded paper, or cardboard for the first layer, then top that with shredded wood and/or raked leaves as others have suggested.

Any tree service is generally glad to dump their chippings for you - they have to pay to dump them otherwise. My town vacuums up leaves curbside in fall, and will also dump the shredded leaves in my driveway when asked (I make sure to tell them that I want only a partial load!) If your town doesn't do this, ask your neighbors for their bagged leaves if your trees don't provide enough.

These are the same sources that the bagged hardwood mulch/compost comes from - without the expensive and unnecessary dyes added.

As far as I can tell, most of the plants in the picture are lambsquarters which are annual and which, if mown and well mulched over will not return. There is a bit of garlic mustard which is also annual and which can be pulled at this stage before it seeds. The mown down weeds will form your first layer of mulch. The only thing I can make out which would come up again after mowing and mulching is a few dandelions and possibly some violets.

If you could post close ups of the weeds we can we can verify these ids or find out what else you have.

I called the local tree companies and one of them is bringing me 8 yards next week!!

Wow, congrats. I guarantee it'll seem like a LOT when delivered, and later it'll seem like you could've got more... Do you have an idea of how big the area is in square yards?

No particular advice except that you can pretty much deal with it however you prefer, and you do NOT have to do it all at once, whatever works for you (without overdoing it physically). Spread it all in the near term or pile up and spread some of it and do bit by bit - won't make much difference to the soil. I tend to spread mine a wheelbarrow at a time while doing other things in the yard. And of course you may have aesthetic preferences.

From my experience a pile can easily shrink to half it's size over time, and in some cases seems to disappear into the soil (the same shrinkage/settling/breaking down will happen when spread). Depending on your climate and how dry the stuff is, wetting the pile can help it break down (and won't hurt) - but you don't need to soak it through and through, no need to waste tons of water.

I have found that a 2" layer of wood chips disappears into my soil in about 2 to 3 years. One year I had a lot of branches from the winter storms, and produced more wood chips than I needed. I decided to put them on the paths in the wooded area of our lot. With in 3 years there was no evidence of the wood chips. There is a difference in that in the OP situation he will not be walking and running the lawn tractor on the area.

As far as spreading your wood chips it is best if the area is of any size to have a cart or wheelbarrow to move the chips to the further location.

You can also mulch with lawn clippings.

Thanks for all of the advice. 8 yards of chips will barely put a dent but it’s a start. I’m easily dealing with 2000 square feet in this tree line. So this is just a start.

Also -- as you work, don't pile mulch against the fence, tree trunks, or shrubbery trunks. Keep mulch 2 or 3 or 4 inches away. Remember mulch keeps things moist, if the fence boards and tree trunks are constantly wet, they will rot.

Unaccustomed as I am to cubic yards and square feet, and rubbish though I am at maths, I think you should get a generous 2“ layer over at least half your area from your 8 yard delivery. So with luck you’ll only need two loads.

On the other hand, I might have worked that out totally wrongly....

As the chips begin to decompose they become denser and hence heavier. Same if they’re wetted. I prefer to spread them after the sap’s dried a bit but before they rot. I use a fork, and let the rain do the wetting. .

Converting units back and forth is the bane of my existence. But I get basically the same as you, floral.

Although I used fathoms because, you know, we need a different measure for linear depth.

I prefer ankle, knee and neck for depth😉

My wife suggested slowing some wildflower seeds in here. Thoughts?

I think that would be problematical. Firstly, you’d need to find shade tolerant species. Then you’d likely have trouble differentiating the sprouting flowers from sprouting weeds. Especially if you sow annuals, which would later seed around. I think you’d do better to mulch then plant perennials through the mulch. Better imo to sow the wild flowers in containers and transplant when they’re bigger.

It has been our experience that the cheap ways of getting flowers in the area do not work. We have had no luck spreading flower seed in the area. We have had very good luck buying flowering plants at the local farmer market. We have had some luck buying at Lowes.

If you have rabbits, deer or the like it is best to plant the biggest plant you can afford. If you buy the cheap one in the small containers the deer and other animals will keep them trimmed back much more that you wish. If you buy larger plant, they can produce sufficient foliage to grow and to feed the animals. As an example we bought several small azaleas about 8 years ago. for the first few year, the plants grew, but did not gain in size. several years age one of them put up a shoot that was out of the deer's reach and had flowers. The next year here was several branches above the Deer line that have had flowers. This spring they are now starting to get the heaps of flowers that you expect with azaleas.

Hellebores might succeed there. Afaik neither rabbits nor deer will eat them.

I've had some success just sowing wildflower-type and green manure seeds, but this is after laying chips down that are reasonably well composted and so with a fair amount of more-like-soil content. And I readily admit it's uneven success, and I am only using the cheapest available seeds (a couple dollars perhaps for a good-sized bag), so it's more of an experiment. The area also has decent flowers growing around it so possible that some of what comes up is naturally sown. (No large herbivores around either). I'm sure the other suggestions about perennials and planting larger, better-established ones would be more successful, particularly if the goal is to get it looking better to begin with. (Things we've planted properly have done well) But for a couple bucks, perfectly happy with the experiment and results.

And of course, doing this certainly won't hurt anything.

We’ve had so much rain that I was finally able to get up on the hill again and run my weed eater and lower. There were a lot of weeds well over a foot tall in a short amount of time. Looked like a jungle. I do have the local tree company bringing wood chips this week. Should I do anything to prepare this area before spreading them? Once they were done it will be a pain to get rid of any weeds. Will a 2-3” layer keep the weeds from popping through??

Mow that area to cut down the weeds, Then remove the cats, dogs, and children toys. That should be all of the preparation needed

I think the removals list should probably include the children as well as their toys.

A large child could spread some woodchips with a little guidance.

Good thinking.

If you can lay down a layer of newspaper or cardboard, that will keep seeds from sprouting up through the mulch.

It depends what weeds you mean. It should keep most weeds down but some like dandelions may still come up (with dandelions, best practical advice is to redefine them out of the weed category). Most others should be kept down, and what else does eg grow from germinating in there will be simple to pull up, even a small child can do. Longer term, you'll want something growing in there that crowds out the weeds, typical undergrowth locally will be best, this is where planting your own or broadcasting some seeds may help. But it rather depends what you want and conditions, keeping in mind you may have to/want to lay down more woodchips periodically.

Update with pictures please! I'm jealous because just about out of wood chips and no ready sources for more.

I haven’t worked this area yet. Still waiting in the chips :( Weeds are plentiful, I just knocked them down again with my weed eater and mower yesterday

Your soil looks sandy. Is that correct? There are some preserves, sand prairies and savannas with sand loving species that would fill in that area nicely. Whole palette.

I would cover those weeds with thick layers of cardboard. With no light they will die off and the cardboard will break down and draw worms which will help aerate the soil. It would be great if you could throw some grass clippings, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and/or leaves on top.

Within a few months time, you'll have a decent area to plant in! Lot easier than mowing and weed eating!

Up the hill I go 😅😅😅

I’ve mowed these down. Hitting them with the weed eater next. Will a thick level of mulch smother these?? Or am I going to need to lay down newspaper/cardboard?

Hopefully you have not hit them with the weed eater yet. Having ample leaf surface is critical. Spray with roundup, then mulch. No cardboard will be needed.

Four to six inches of woodchips is needed for smothering without poison and cardboard will help. A lot is going to depend on the exact weeds you have up there. I'm seeing mostly crabgrass. Killing most grasses is easy.

Already nailed them with the weed eater…

If you are not in a hurry you can let them regrow then spray them.

or

"Put some mulch around your baby shrubs to keep the weeds and mower away from them. Mow the rest. Mowed green weeds are better than sprayed dead dirt."

I would cover with newspaper or cardboard and then mulch over it. I think we are all too quick to use sprays and although you will have to be patient, covering will work just as well.

Tree guys dropped off way way way way more mulch or wood chips that I needed so I cut everything as low as I could and have started heavily mulching over the top. We’ll see how it goes

I did not realize your weed filled tree line was that large a space. You are going to need more wood chips. That was not a very big pile.

Yes I’ll need more. This was just my leftovers after I did my front beds. I had about 8 yards I think

Looks as good or better than any store bought bagged mulch. The green leafy bits are already gone in this picture.

Yeah I think it’ll turn out nice. I’m worn out though. Steep hill and MANY trips did me in

Depending on the distance you have to move the mulch, you may consider renting or borrowing a lawn tractor or a garden tractor with a scoop. Does one of your neighbors have a tractor and trailer the could be rented for a couple of beer, of a barbecue?

It looks like you have a very nice design for the area. Once finished I am sure it will bring much enjoyment from the critters it attracts and the blooms

Get another load and do four or five trips each morning. And cancel your gym membership.

I just hate leaving the mess in the driveway so I went after it.

That is me also. When I realize I am tired, it is only one more load and I am finished; four hours later I am not only tired but "dead" tired

At least that was me until I ended up in the hospital with heat exhaustion, Then it was only one more day and you are done. After that episode I have become more realistic and quit when I think I can do one more load.

Ending up in the hospital is not worth worrying about the drive being messy for a couple of more days.

It’s been so hot that I’ve ignored the weeds and they’ve really come back in full force. This late in the season is it worth spraying? I’ve got another large load of wood chips coming whenever I want. I’ll probably wait until cooler weather is here for those.

I would cover an area 2 or 3" deep till I ran out of chips. Then beg for more chips. I dump the entire wheel barrow load and them push them with a rake. You can cover thick 12" high weeds by pushing the mulch over them.

Annual crabgrass is what I see most of. Yes it is good to remove it before fully sets seed if it is a weed where it is. Pull it or spray it. A good hoe on a hot day and those weeds will be dead and gone in 24hrs, a lot faster than any spray.

Yes I may just attack it with a hoe and then throw the chips over the top at a later date

You can spray, but you might already have a quantity of seeds that have reached the soil from that grass..

Once again (and this is based on my experience with converting a large, weed filled yard to gardens) I recommend that you either kill or closely mow the area, then cover with cardboard (or newspaper, if you have access to enough), topped with your mulch. The paper won't be visible. Less mulch hauling will be needed since you won't need as thick of a layer, and weed seeds will not sprout and grow through the mulch. It has been years since I did this, and I do not have to weed those beds.

Another thing to do, for an even more permanent solution, is to solarize the area - get black plastic, either the heavy contractor trash bags or the type that comes on rolls at the hardware store, and cover the weedy areas - peg down the plastic along the edges to keep it in place, and leave it there for several weeks Do not cover it with mulch - you want sun to hit the plastic and heat the ground under it. After several weeks, seeds on/in the top bit of the soil will have been killed. Then remove the plastic, lay your cardboard (or skip, but you will have weed seed blow in so some weeding will be needed in future) and lay your mulch.