You could also spray it, but that stuff migrates, so it might kill the part you want to keep.

Black plastic takes awhile though.

I think you'll get some results.

Do you have a weedwacker? I didn't do this, but some workers who were being "supervised" by my husband took a weedwacker to the pachysandra that had grown into a path. This turned it into some "nubs."

After you do that, you could put large sheets of cardboard over it and then mulch it.

If you need mulch, tell some neighbors. They might be happy to dump some grass clippings on top of the cardboard. Also, if you see some neighborhood landscapers working on a neighbor's property, you might ask them if they want to dump some clippings on your area.

The advantage to this method is that if you keep mulching it, in a year or so you'll have incredibly rich soil. Then you can grow whatever you want in there. I did it once on an area of lawn and I then planted cleome (spider flower) in there and I had one spider flower with a three-inch thick stem!

I really hate to see you do this, though, as pachysandra pulls in a nice price at the garden centers. Someone out there would definitely benefit from the starts. And it is a terrific, low-maintenance ground cover that adds interest to the landscape.

I wouldn't do plastic because if you don't get it up before it breaks into little pieces, you'll have an even bigger mess on your hands.


Cher

p.s. what about a sign at the curb: "Free Pachysandra" and your phone number or email address? With this method, neighbors might pass it along through their network.

Is this near other plants? I often see it around trees.

If it is not near other plants, what I do as a less and less capable physically older person is...resort to spraying things with RoundUp. Yes, evil RoundUp. It can take a couple of weeks for stuff to start dying, despite their claims of one week. It comes in premixed spray bottles, so you can avoid the whole mixing and big sprayer effort.

You could also go the cover it with flattened cardboard boxes weighed down with bricks or somesuch. You can buy cardboard boxes at UHaul.

Basically, it's a "runner", so you'd have to really till down to get rid of it. I just like to as a ground cover so much… It's so tolerant through the freezing winter, and adjusts well in summer.

Should I be worried?

It has overgrown a pathway between my house and that of my neighbor.
I can dig up the overgrowth but hate to just throw out the parts that I dig up.
Seems like no-one wants it. It has been great in the shaded area but now the tree causing the shade has been cut down and the sun has make this stuff grow like crazy.

I guess my weekend project is dig and get to the dump. The stuff has managed to grow thru the underlay and thru the stones. It now looks awful. For me this is a big project. Bad back and bad foot makes the job a little difficult but--I will spend Saturday having fun with shovel and trash bags. Oh Joy!