I have Ivy growing along the side wall of my garage - I planted it when the
house was new and was desperate for anything green.

I now want to reduce its density but find on cutting it back I am left with
just a backfill of old dead leaves and tangled branches.

Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

On Monday, April 15, 2019 at 4:07:23 PM UTC+1, DerbyBorn wrote:
I have Ivy growing along the side wall of my garage - I planted it when the
house was new and was desperate for anything green.

I now want to reduce its density but find on cutting it back I am left with
just a backfill of old dead leaves and tangled branches.

Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

Take ot back to the wall and thin it out

On Monday, 15 April 2019 16:07:23 UTC+1, DerbyBorn wrote:

I have Ivy growing along the side wall of my garage - I planted it when the
house was new and was desperate for anything green.

I now want to reduce its density but find on cutting it back I am left with
just a backfill of old dead leaves and tangled branches.

Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

When you cut it back, if you do much more that cut what's sticking out it's going to look a mess until it regrows. It will regrow no matter how hard you cut it back. So you choose. Basically you can either try to keep on top of it with frequent trimming, let it go out of control or cut it back hard & wait for it to regreen.


NT

On 15/04/2019 19:03, wrote:
On Monday, 15 April 2019 16:07:23 UTC+1, DerbyBorn wrote:

I have Ivy growing along the side wall of my garage - I planted it when the
house was new and was desperate for anything green.

I now want to reduce its density but find on cutting it back I am left with
just a backfill of old dead leaves and tangled branches.

Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

When you cut it back, if you do much more that cut what's sticking out it's going to look a mess until it regrows. It will regrow no matter how hard you cut it back. So you choose. Basically you can either try to keep on top of it with frequent trimming, let it go out of control or cut it back hard & wait for it to regreen.


NT


Funnily enough we've just completed a major anti-ivy* operation. We have
a mixed hedge that's 50 years old, mostly deciduous but with some
leylandii. We noticed that the trees were not very well and there was a
mass of ivy on them. Three out of fourteen trees have died. We thought
they had all died actually, but after stripping the ivy off and watering
the area for days eleven have come to life. It took days and days to get
the ivy off. We filled a 6 x 4 trailer three times.

*Hil had an Aunty Ivy but she died. The whole lot of them are dead; the
geordie husband, the arsey daughter, the ****ing horrible poodle Chiko.

Bill

On 15/04/2019 16:07, DerbyBorn wrote:
Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

Nuke it.

Cut it off at the roots, and paint the end of the stumps with
glyphosate. And again every time it regrows.

Put something less aggressive up your wall. You'll never get the ivy
marks off.

Andy

Vir Campestris wrote:

On 15/04/2019 16:07, DerbyBorn wrote:
Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

Nuke it.

Cut it off at the roots, and paint the end of the stumps with
glyphosate. And again every time it regrows.
You might find that painting the stumps with SBK might be a bit more
successul. It's a scrub and brushcutter designed for such tasks.
Put something less aggressive up your wall. You'll never get the ivy
marks off.
And that's for sure

Peter

On Monday, April 15, 2019 at 7:18:15 PM UTC+1, Bill Wright wrote:
On 15/04/2019 19:03, wrote:
On Monday, 15 April 2019 16:07:23 UTC+1, DerbyBorn wrote:

I have Ivy growing along the side wall of my garage - I planted it when the
house was new and was desperate for anything green.

I now want to reduce its density but find on cutting it back I am left with
just a backfill of old dead leaves and tangled branches.

Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

When you cut it back, if you do much more that cut what's sticking out it's going to look a mess until it regrows. It will regrow no matter how hard you cut it back. So you choose. Basically you can either try to keep on top of it with frequent trimming, let it go out of control or cut it back hard & wait for it to regreen.


NT


Funnily enough we've just completed a major anti-ivy* operation. We have
a mixed hedge that's 50 years old, mostly deciduous but with some
leylandii. We noticed that the trees were not very well and there was a
mass of ivy on them. Three out of fourteen trees have died. We thought
they had all died actually, but after stripping the ivy off and watering
the area for days eleven have come to life. It took days and days to get
the ivy off. We filled a 6 x 4 trailer three times.

*Hil had an Aunty Ivy but she died. The whole lot of them are dead; the
geordie husband, the arsey daughter, the ****ing horrible poodle Chiko.

Bill

About 20years ago we cut through the ivy growth on several trees. It killed it all right but I now see it is back as bad as ever.

It grows up along the front of the garage and winds its way inside. I savage it regularly but its an on going battle

On 16/04/2019 08:11, Peter wrote:
Vir Campestris wrote:

On 15/04/2019 16:07, DerbyBorn wrote:
Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

Nuke it.

Cut it off at the roots, and paint the end of the stumps with
glyphosate. And again every time it regrows.

You might find that painting the stumps with SBK might be a bit more
successul. It's a scrub and brushcutter designed for such tasks.

Yes. Ivy just laughs at glyphosate. Its waxy coat is so good that most
ivy (and holly) seedlings will survive nuking rough ground with it.

Put something less aggressive up your wall. You'll never get the ivy
marks off.

And that's for sure

Hydrangea peteolaris (sp?) is a more appealing climbing plant than ivy.
Variegated ivy is less vigorous and therefore less troublesome.

There is a parasitic flower that you can introduce to normal ivy if you
want to slow it down but first you have to find some with viable seed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orobanche_hederae

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 16/04/2019 08:15, wrote:
About 20years ago we cut through the ivy growth on several trees. It killed it all right but I now see it is back as bad as ever.

It grows up along the front of the garage and winds its way inside. I savage it regularly but its an on going battle

This is one instance where ecoplugs are worthwhile, failing them being
available a 1/2 inch hole 1" deep with a 50% dilution of glyphosate in
water and a cork will kill the aerial and subterranean bits.

AJH

On 16/04/2019 08:15, wrote:
On Monday, April 15, 2019 at 7:18:15 PM UTC+1, Bill Wright wrote:
On 15/04/2019 19:03, wrote:
On Monday, 15 April 2019 16:07:23 UTC+1, DerbyBorn wrote:

I have Ivy growing along the side wall of my garage - I planted it when the
house was new and was desperate for anything green.

I now want to reduce its density but find on cutting it back I am left with
just a backfill of old dead leaves and tangled branches.

Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

When you cut it back, if you do much more that cut what's sticking out it's going to look a mess until it regrows. It will regrow no matter how hard you cut it back. So you choose. Basically you can either try to keep on top of it with frequent trimming, let it go out of control or cut it back hard & wait for it to regreen.


NT


Funnily enough we've just completed a major anti-ivy* operation. We have
a mixed hedge that's 50 years old, mostly deciduous but with some
leylandii. We noticed that the trees were not very well and there was a
mass of ivy on them. Three out of fourteen trees have died. We thought
they had all died actually, but after stripping the ivy off and watering
the area for days eleven have come to life. It took days and days to get
the ivy off. We filled a 6 x 4 trailer three times.

*Hil had an Aunty Ivy but she died. The whole lot of them are dead; the
geordie husband, the arsey daughter, the ****ing horrible poodle Chiko.

Bill

About 20years ago we cut through the ivy growth on several trees. It killed it all right but I now see it is back as bad as ever.

It grows up along the front of the garage and winds its way inside. I savage it regularly but its an on going battle

Try rootout. Sold as a compost accellerator on ebay. Mix and spray
putting a litle washing up liquid in. It will kill most of the top
growth. Put rotout on the cut surfasce of the stems and this will kill
the roots. If you do not kill the top growth, experience says that the
ivy will get enough moisture from any porous surfsce it is clinging to
e.g a brick wall to continue to survive. I had this expeience with ivy
on a brick wall. Cut the stems but the top growth was not kiled until
the wall was soaked with rootout. A tip - a dutch hoe is good at
removing dead ivy clinging top the wall.

Malcolm

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com

On 15/04/2019 16:07, DerbyBorn wrote:
Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

It looks nice but I hate the stuff, grew it once and when I decided it
would be too much effort to keep on top of it decided to kill it. I
didnt realise that the ivy was sending out shoots through my (floor) air
vents and when pulling them out some were 20 feet long. Glad I killed
the thing when I did.

On Monday, 15 April 2019 16:07:23 UTC+1, DerbyBorn wrote:
I have Ivy growing along the side wall of my garage - I planted it when the
house was new and was desperate for anything green.

I now want to reduce its density but find on cutting it back I am left with
just a backfill of old dead leaves and tangled branches.

Should I really go for it and cut it down and let it regrow, resolving not
to let it get as bad? Or should I thin it right back to the wall and thin
out some of the tangle of branches?

Our ivy struggles - largely because it grows up a near-vertical rocky bank and has to fight against bramble, foxglove, nettle, grass, thistle, and goodness knows what else. We have to take sides and help cut back the bramble, but much of the rest seems to achieve some sort of equilibrium.