"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
...
How to grow Ivy (with minimal sun)

Greetings,

I belong to a little brick bungalow in a densely populated
area of a midwest city (St. Louis, MO). For the most part,
there's about 6-8' between one house and it's next-door neighbor.

I have a strip approx. 4' x 20' on one side of my house
where nothing (except moss) seems to want to grow. Gets
sun for about 30-45 min. a day. I tried "Quality Shade"
grass: it worked for a season or 2, then petered out.

Numerous houses on the block have ivy between the houses.
It looks OK and I'm told it requires near zero maintenance.

Gardening is not my strong suit. There are all kinds
of things I don't know about.

The 4' x 20' strip is slightly sandy. There is a
slight erosion ridge from the neighbor's dysfunctional
gutters.

Good candidate for ivy?

If so, a few hints/tips as to how to acquire/grow the stuff
much appreciated.

Cheers,
Puddin'

What others have said about ivy being invasive is pretty much true. If you
want something that's easy to care for, and pretty much bulletproof, I'd
suggest pachysandra. Any decent garden center will have it available. It's
usually sold in "flats" - trays of soil, instead of individual little pots.
The flats contain quite a few plants, and are priced accordingly, so they
always seem expensive compared to other plants. Ignore this perception and
buy them. If you want to fill the area quickly, figure on one plant for
every half-foot square. Half that many if you don't mind waiting 2-3 years
to cover the area.

Pachysandra will grow in anything from deep shade to full sun. They spread
nicely over a few years. I've had some in a shady corner now for 20 years.
Every winter, they're pummeled by large falling icicles, and they laugh at
the abuse. If they seem a bit pale now and then, I give them the same type
of plant food intended for evergreens & rhododendrons. They like slightly
acid soil.