The Best Way to Get Rid of Pachysandra
- 1). Spray the bed of pachysandra a non-selective herbicide on a calm day, following the instructions on the product label. Pull the debris out by hand when the plants wither and dry up, in about seven to 10 days.
- 2). Hand-pull the plant. Smaller plantings of pachysandra can be eliminated by hand-pulling. Grasp the individual plants close to the ground to avoid breaking off their stems. Any roots or pieces of roots left in the ground will regrow. Continue to hand-pull the new shoots; eventually the roots will use up all of their stored energy and stop sending up shoots.
- 3). Dig beneath pachysandra's shallow roots. Hold a sharp garden spade almost parallel to the ground. Cut beneath the roots, creating a "carpet" of pachysandra plants and their root systems. Roll up the "carpet" the same way sod is rolled up after harvesting it for a new lawn. Dispose of the plants.
- 4). Cover the area with a thick, dark cloth; black plastic; or many layers of newspapers. This will take several months to kill off the pachysandra, but will do a very thorough job of it. Lay the cloth, plastic or newspapers flat on the ground so they have good contact with the surface. Secure the edges with rocks or by inserting metal or wooden pins into the ground through the edges of the covering material. Remove the covering and check the plants' status six to eight weeks after installing.
- 5). Remove pachysandra's shade. The plant will grow only in partial to deep shade. If it is exposed to sun, pachysandra eventually will wither and die, although it may take several months.
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