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'

clipped

Good candidate for ivy?

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

Cheers,
Puddin'

Ivy can be invasive if it climbs walls, and can damage mortar or
aluminum siding. Af far as starting it goes, cuttings can be rooted in
water and then planted in soil. If you like what your neighbors have,
ask them for a bunch of cuttings. If you plant it, dig out some old
soil and put in some topsoil, then plant the rooted cuttings. Needs to
be moist (not totally dry). It can get weedy, and collect debris. It
can also strangle trees and spread, so should be contained.

My favorite for "no grow" spots is level soil, lay landscape cloth and
cover with river rock. Another nice shade plant is hosta; bushy clump
of leaves, and some varieties have a pretty blossom. Some are
variegated, some solid green. Visit a local garden center for tips.

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 20:57:02 GMT, Norminn
wrote:

Good candidate for ivy?

Ivy can be invasive if it climbs walls, and can damage mortar or
aluminum siding. [stuff cut] It can get weedy, and collect debris. It
can also strangle trees and spread, so should be contained.

Agreed; I wouldn't recommend ivy anywhere near a building. Along a
highway sound wall, sure, but even then it can and does get out of
control.

My favorite for "no grow" spots is level soil, lay landscape cloth and
cover with river rock. Another nice shade plant is hosta; bushy clump
of leaves, and some varieties have a pretty blossom. Some are
variegated, some solid green.

I love hostas. Another option for your space would be ferns.

Puddin' Man wrote:
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'

Ivy is easy to grow and hard to get rid of. It attaches itself to the
wall and even goes inside any cracks it finds. It can damage wood (caused
enough dampness to rot it and it gets through seams and gets behind it.)
Brick and stone it attaches to and you can't get all of it off. I recommend
against it. I speak as one who knows from experience. Even sand blasting
did not get it all off.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Puddin' Man wrote:

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

Good candidate for ivy?

Dunno but ours grows in Florida "soil" (sand) under oak trees.
____________

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

1. Buy one or more plants

2. Plant

3. Water and fertilize once in a while.

4. As it grows (or from the plant(s) you buy if sizeable), snip off
pieces maybe 8-10" long and stick the ends in the ground on about a one
foot grid so they will root and fill the space faster.

5. Don't let it grow on your house.


--
dadiOH
____________________________

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Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

"KLS" wrote in message
...

I love hostas. Another option for your space would be ferns.

I love hosta too, especially since they come back every year.

"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.

wrote:
Check for your state extension service.
I've gotten excellent help from extensions services in several states.
TB

Very good advice.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Doug Kanter wrote:
... 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.

A very good choice. I have used it with very good success (Mid Ohio)

I would also suggest Periwinkle aka Vinca Myrtle.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
... 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.

A very good choice. I have used it with very good success (Mid Ohio)

I would also suggest Periwinkle aka Vinca Myrtle.

Yep. That's another one. That stuff will grow in radioactive broken glass,
and be happy. :-)

KLS wrote:

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 20:57:02 GMT, Norminn
wrote:

-snip-
My favorite for "no grow" spots is level soil, lay landscape cloth and
cover with river rock. Another nice shade plant is hosta; bushy clump
of leaves, and some varieties have a pretty blossom. Some are
variegated, some solid green.

I love hostas. Another option for your space would be ferns.

Here's a great little Hosta garden in upstate NY -- This man's son
sold hosta's to support himself through college & became my son's
favorite high school teacher.

Go back to the main page to see how many varieties there are-
http://www.hostalibrary.org/

There are a lot more varieties than I ever imagined before seeing this
garden.

Jim

dadiOH wrote:
Puddin' Man wrote:


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

Good candidate for ivy?


Dunno but ours grows in Florida "soil" (sand) under oak trees.
____________

There are a lot of "houseplants" which are exotic and do damage in
landscape in Florida. One of the worst is asparagus fern - bears red
berries, carried by birds, and becomes very weedy in hedges. I hate the
stuff, and it is impossible to dig out.

My mom planted ivy beneath a nice oak tree in Florida. It eventually
strangled the oak. I believe kudzu was once somebody's house plant, and
it had done horrendous damage in the south. We have python's and
poisonous toads in Florida now, so may as well give up )

I've had good luck with the vinca (in St. Louis).
It fills nicely, and doesn't seem to take over the place.


"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:

I would also suggest Periwinkle aka Vinca Myrtle.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Thanks to all for helpful info on this little issue.

I knew that ivy was invasive and should be kept away from
masonry, etc, but the proposed patch could've been just
another stop on my weed-whacker route. Apparently it's
not necessarily that simple.

Turns out there's a neighbor with both ivy and hasta
(who actually knows gardening g) who has offered
some hasta.

So I'll try hasta this season. Maybe ivy next season if
the hasta doesn't work out.

Cheers,
Puddin'

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:36:18 GMT, Puddin' Man
wrote:

How to grow Ivy (with minimal sun)

...

"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all for helpful info on this little issue.

I knew that ivy was invasive and should be kept away from
masonry, etc, but the proposed patch could've been just
another stop on my weed-whacker route. Apparently it's
not necessarily that simple.

Turns out there's a neighbor with both ivy and hasta
(who actually knows gardening g) who has offered
some hasta.

So I'll try hasta this season. Maybe ivy next season if
the hasta doesn't work out.

That's HOSTA, with an "O" in the middle. Take a look at the spacing of your
friend's hosta before they're dug up. Unless he's growing miniatures, they
will quickly reach 3-4 feet in diameter. Every few years, you can dig them
up, split them, and give them to unsuspecting friends. Even though it'll
look a bit empty at first, be sure to plant them with enough space. And, not
up against a wall, unless you like smashing your knuckles against the bricks
when it's time to dig them up.