Best way to get rid of Ivy

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Sophrosyne

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Does anyone know a sure way of killing ivy?

I had to get rid of yards of the stuff that overhung from a neighbouring garden.

Now I think it has seeded in my garden.

I have tried Glyphosate without much success.
 
Keep cutting and pulling if you can't get at roots, will eventually weaken it. I unfortunately planted some 30 yrs when I had a new garden, big mistake, I'd never plant it again. I have cleared it from several areas at this stage and am working on another at the moment, there is literally a mesh of stems running all over the ground, nightmare stuff!
 
Monbretia said:
there is literally a mesh of stems running all over the ground, nightmare stuff!
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The same as my garden.

I didn't notice it sooner because I have tall shrubs and trees, some of which I had to prune down to get at the ivy.

Digging it out will be difficult but there seems to be no alternative.
 
Sophrosyne said:
Does anyone know a sure way of killing ivy?

I had to get rid of yards of the stuff that overhung from a neighbouring garden.

Now I think it has seeded in my garden.

I have tried Glyphosate without much success.
Click to expand...
The shiny leaves on ivy reduce their ability to absorb the weedkiller. Strim the ivy first and then spray what's left with Roundup or Gallup or SBK Brushwood killer.
 
@Sophrosyne - I know how bad Ivy is in the garden, it invades everything and so very quickly. I battled for years with it, trying to cut it back a few times a season to try to keep it under control.

One of the good things about ivy is that it is a huge safe haven for so much in the garden and the overall eco system in a garden. If you are cutting it back, etc leave on the ground for a period of time to let everything "get away". If you can avoid spraying the weedkiller, that will also help your overall garden health (and your own).
 
I pulled ivy off old wall down to about 6"off ground so main stem was exposed. I put a granular form (like sugar) of glyphosphate on that and wrapped around with bit of plastic and keep a good amount in place. It did the trick.
 
Ivy is a source of food for the bees in late August/September. When no other food is available. That being said if it becomes invasive cut it at ground level and from there remove six inches. The remaining ivy on the wall, fence or wherever will die and it will be easier to remove with a wire brush. This method is often seen on trees. If you put salt on the roots this will help kill them.
 
1. I'm glad I came across this thread as I'm in the latter process of making our gardens as elderly-friendly as I can without compromising appearance. I've allotted one hour per day over the past week to dig out the root system of many ivy growths. It takes some resolve, but with every dig the job becomes easier. The roots even expanded between the threads of the tough plastic base in the flower bed. I'm finding it easier to replace the plastic sheet rather than trying to just clean it. Hitherto, I never realised that the roots systems of ivy were so extensive, but at least they are not deep and give in to perseverance.
2. After I have dug out the roots I know that some roots will be left and I plan to us chemical treatment on any future surviving ivy i.e. merely strangulation process on the ivy stranglers. Bully the bully, if you wish.
 
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I am also in the middle of a battle against ivy . A lot of good advice here.

I’m pulling it off walls and cutting the stems close to the ground , pulling up as much roots as I can . I’ll keep it up all summer and hope as much as possible dies off. I don’t want to resort to weed killer but I know I’ll have to. I’ll see what’s left , I have some ivy with a stem 4 cm wide, the riots must be huge
 
The problem with ivy is when it is coming from your neighbours garden. It can grow between your wooden fence and over time, causes it to break.

Every year we would spend time cutting, trimming and trying to destroy this pest as it grows through our shared boundry fence.

One of our neighbours used ivy to cover a pergola that borders our garden. It now looks like a huge mound of darkness, looming over our garden that has never been trimmed on the top.

We also fell in to the trap of planting an ivy to cover a block wall that the builders of our house never rendered. Thankfully we planted an unusual and variegated variety that actually looks nice.....however it still needs a lot of annual maintenance.

As I get older, I agree with Leper, I am not sure that I want this ongoing annual task.

Earlier this summer I cut down our Japanese Laurel Golden Girl, that was lovely but requiring a lot of maintenance. It took several days just to dig the roots out of the ground.
 
Silversurfer said:

'A well known premises had difficulty when they did not pay the tips to staff. The law was changed subsequently.'

Thanks for that Silversurfer, I'm not au fait with Dublin eateries and whenever we visit we tend to stay in the suburbs. Paying €9.80 for a pint in Templebar would kill me.

Back to the roots of our ivy. I've dug out three square yards of the infected area three times and each time it gets easier on my muscles. I'll do a fourth dig tomorrow with a finer garden fork. I don't use the word "amazing" too often, but the root system of our ivy is amazing. It hides itself in places you'd never think unless you physically follow the roots. I have no problem in comparing the root system to the arteries and veins of the human body such is their detail. Even after my fourth dig, I'll keep some weedkiller on hands just to ensure the ivy doesn't have an effective resurrection.
 
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