How to Mow Pachysandra

Overview

Pachysandra is a wonderful evergreen ground cover that can grow in shady areas under trees where grass will not grow. Mowing it is a great way to clean it up and give it a rejuvenation of growth. According to Gail Ruhl, senior plant disease diagnostician, department of Botany & Plant Pathology at Purdue University, mowing the pachysandra patch will inhibit the growth of blights that can devastate a patch. There are a few things to keep in mind when mowing.

Step 1

Remove any large sticks or debris manually from your pachysandra patch before mowing. If the area has been covered in a thick layer of leaves, use a leaf blower to remove as much as possible. This should be done routinely every year to prevent the buildup of moisture around the stems of the plant.

Step 2

Prepare your lawn mower by setting the blade height to as high as possible and attach the grass-catching bag to the discharge chute. You don't want to kill the patch, just to remove the extra plant material and let it dry out somewhat.

Step 3

Mow the area, going over it slowly and emptying the bag as often as necessary. The suction of the rotating blades will pull up a lot of the debris that has been sitting at the base of the plants. If you suspect that the patch was infested with a disease, don't place the clippings in your compost. Bag them up in garbage bags and get rid of them with your household trash.

Step 4

Clip the pachysandra patch with a pair of hedge clippers if there are too many rocks or if it was planted on a steep slope. Cut off the top inch or so, leaving at least 3 inches of the plant left. Remove as much of the clippings as possible.