Thanks for your question.

In order for us to provide you with our best answer, please send us two pictures.  One should be of the entire area so that we can get a sense of what you mean by "large section".  Secondly, send us a close up picture of a couple of ground elder plants showing their leaves.  This will enable us to determine the stage of growth they are in.

Looking forward to your response.  Thanks for consulting us.

Thanks for the question.

The video did not come through, but the pictures sufficed. Your major problem is trying to eliminate the ground elder when it seems to be rather well integrated with the rest of your garden. Unfortunately, there is no herbicide that will just kill ground elder and leave all other plants alone. It is a perennial plant that spreads by seed dispersion and underground roots. Two varieties exist. One with variegated colored leaves and one with solid green leaves. It appears that you are blessed by the latter. This is a good time (mid-July) to combat it before it starts to release its seeds. Here is a little more background information on the plant:

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/goutweed

http://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail/?project=misin&id=54&cname=Bishop%27s goutweed

The real challenge is trying to get rid of it. Covering it with cardboard or landscape fabric will probably be ineffective as neither of these approaches will kill the roots. Often to be fully effective, the fabric or cardboard should be covered with mulch, which adds an element of complexity to the whole operation. Once the cardboard or fabric is removed, the ground elder will come roaring back with a vengeance. Contact herbicides, such as you might use for most other weeds (e.g., dandelions, Creeping Charlie), are relatively ineffective against it due to their waxy leaf covering. Trying to dig it up is a short-term remedy, but it will be impossible to do this without leaving some root fragments behind. These fragments will quickly produce new plants. An all-purpose herbicide containing glyphosate will work but at the risk of killing adjacent plants.

See the following for more information on these and related points:

https://goodgrow.uk/how-to-kill-ground-elder-permanently/

https://horticulture.co.uk/ground-elder/

A few years back, I dealt with a similar problem involving creeping bellflower instead of ground elder. I used two methods.  These will be my suggestions:

1. Perform solarization on the ground elder. This will eventually kill the ground elder and most of its seeds that are on the ground. It will have minimal impact upon adjacent plants. It will take at least four weeks to perform. To the fullest possible extent cover the ground elder with CLEAR plastic. Fasten it down as best you can. Try to cover as much of the plant as possible. This is a technique known as solarization. As the sun passes through the plastic, heat is trapped beneath the plastic and the plant and essentially everything (including seeds) is “cooked”. Monitor things through the plastic. Once it appears that the plants are dead, the plastic can be removed. See:

https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/solarization-occultation

https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74145.html

2). Use an all-purpose herbicide containing glyphosate. Before applying it, weed wack the ground elder down and remove the plant debris. What you are trying to do is to cut the plant’s stems and expose its vascular tissue. Apply the glyphosate herbicide with a hand sprayer, positioning the sprayer as close as possible to the exposed stem ends. Do this on a day when there is no wind, preferably in the morning. Cover all adjacent plants with some type of covering to protect them from the herbicide. Place sheets of cardboard around the area to be sprayed. You want to construct a physical barrier to prevent herbicide from drifting over to your desirable plants. Apply the glyphosate herbicide per directions on its label. Do this spraying at least two more times. One about three days after the first spraying and then another spraying three days after that. This will mean a total of three applications.

As I indicated, you could do one or the other of these  procedures or both. In my case with creeping bellflower, I did the herbicide treatment first followed by solarization. By the next year, very little bellflower appeared.

Of course, you could leave things as they currently exist, accept the ground elder, and just attempt to contain it. It’s up to you how much effort and time you want to devote to this task.

Good luck. Please get back to me with any related questions you might have. Thanks for consulting us.

Good luck.  Glad to be of assistance.

Wow!!  What a Herculean feat!!  Congratulations!  Still do the solarization ASAP.  But as a preliminary to that, rake the area to level things out.  This will also have the effect of bringing residual root fragments (yes, they still are present) to the surface.  Let solarization take it from there.  Please realize that for solarization to be effective, clear days with lots of sun are necessary.  Previously I suggested four weeks for the solarization.  Since you presumably are thinking ahead to 2025, I would continue the solarization until the end of August.  This should do in most root fragments.  I don't see a need now to apply any herbicide.  Nevertheless, with ground elder nothing is ever over.  Be prepared in 2025 for some ground elder shoots to pop up.  Yank them out as quickly as possible.  Removing the plants now before they have gone to seed is a major step in preventing further spread of this plant.

Again, congratulations and dedication.  I'm very impressed.  Thanks for using our services.

Thanks for your last response and remarks.

With respect to your honeysuckle, here’s the short answer. Once it is done flowering this season (2024), have at it. The timing is critical. Flower buds for 2025 will start developing at some point in 2024. You want to do your pruning before these buds form. That is why I suggest that pruning be done soon after 2024 blooming. Prune a third off, down to about six inches from the soil. If there are dead branches, get rid of them as well but don’t count them in the one third. Some sources suggest that pruning be done in the early spring. This would be another option. However, I don’t favor it as a person might inadvertently remove branches with developing flower buds. I know. I’ve done it with my honeysuckle. See:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/honeysuckle/prune-honeysuckle-plants.htm

https://plantaddicts.com/pruning-honeysuckle/

Essentially the same is true for your oakleaf hydrangea. They bloom on “old wood”. This simply means that 2025 flowers will come from buds that are formed in 2024.  When your hydrangeas are done with their 2024 blooming, go after them.  See:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/pruning-oakleaf-hydrangea.htm

https://www.marthastewart.com/8098441/oakleaf-hydrangea-grow-care-guide

Great to see you active with all these gardening activities. Good luck with them. Thanks for consulting with us.

Glad to be of assistance.  Enjoy this Saturday by getting your hands dirty in the dirt.  Thanks again for using our forum.