How To kill ivy

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Farm house covered in well kept ivy

However ivy really isn't all it is cracked up to be, it grows almost virulently, is extremely difficult to remove, and can cause all manner of damage to the things that it chooses to grow on. Yes it can look wonderfully aesthetic, but given half the chance it will inevitably grow out of control, becoming ragged, overgrown and wild looking. If you do wish to have ivy growing in your surroundings then at the very least you should be looking to perform maintenance on it bi-annually to prevent it getting out of control.
The two main areas that ivy is usually grow on are brick walls, and trees or forest land. These are discussed below along with the best courses of action to take if you wish to remove the ivy:

Effects of Ivy on Trees
Removal or Maintenance of Ivy on Trees
Effect of Ivy on Brick Walls
Removal of Ivy From Brickwork
Permanent Removal of Ivy

Effects of ivy on trees Back to top

Ivy is commonplace within woodland areas, sometimes with the whole woodland floor consisting of an Ivy carpet. Such low locations are useless to the Ivy, the shade of trees keeps the light levels low, reducing photosynthesis; additionally pollination and seed dispersal is difficult. Ivy needs to establish itself as high as possible within the canopy and is programmed to achieve this through climbing. Once established on a tree, ivy offers a home for many insects and nesting places for many birds. However, it can also be the cause of many problems and may even lead to the total demise of the tree. Ivy is an evergreen, producing leaves all year round. Once located around the trunk of a tree, its leaves prevent any light from reaching the tree bark and thus prevents activation of any dormant buds. This does not necessarily represent a problem and in some cases may even be desirable. It does however become a problem when ivy grows into the trees crown and prevents the development of new and existing buds. Buds produce leaves and leaves produce food for the tree through the process of photosynthesis; without adequate supplies of food the tree starts to suffer.

Ivy growth around the tree trunk can produce a localised humid microclimate which wood decay organisms enjoy; such a climate may increase the rate of decay on already damaged areas. Tree Inspection becomes difficult with possible hazards being hidden from view and for these reasons it is normally recommended that the ivy be killed and removed and the tree be inspected again.

Removal or Maintenance of Ivy on Trees Back to top

It may be prudent to prevent ivy from growing onto trees altogether unless this is essential for some aesthetic reason. If this is the case then ivy growth should be limited to the tree's trunk only, with it being regularly trimmed back as it begins to enter the trees crown. If the ivy is already established then it can be either removed or simply cut at the base. Removal is a messy business, as any tree surgeon will tell you, dust, dirt, dead leaves, bird nests and insects invariably end up down your neck, in your mouth and in your hair. The easier method is simply to cut each and every Ivy stem around the tree trunk at around waist height. This will kill the ivy above the cut, causing its leaves to first turn brown and then fall; this could take 1-2 years. Eventually the ivy stems will rot, disintegrate and fall way from the tree branches; this may take anything from 3-10 years depending upon the diameter of the stems.It is possibly to pull the ivy off of the trees at any stage, however it is much easier once you have killed the ivy and let it dehydrate for a while. Also there is less chance of you damaging the tree if you pull of dead ivy, as it is less likely to cling to the bark and pull said bark off with it when you remove the ivy. If a tree is stripped of too much bark it may become sick and die.

Effect of Ivy on Brick Walls Back to top

Despite its often beautiful appearance on building work, pruning this fast-growing plant is necessary in order to keep it away from wooden house parts (window frames, roof eaves, siding, etc.) or else it can ruin finishes and works its way into the house. Ivy does not cause mortar to crumble unless that mortar if it already unsound. It does not harm fired, clay bricks. Think of all those ivy-draped, romantic-looking English structures that have been standing for centuries. There are other advantages to having ivy grow on your walls:

1. It adds a very effective additional insulating layer for keeping heat in, thus reducing your overall heating bill (something that might be quite significant in an old country house). See also energy saving tips for other (better) ways to cut your heating bill.

2. Ivy provides accommodation of birds and wildlife, and so provides a natural habitat for animals in your garden.

3. It can be an effective way of covering up or blending an unsightly wall into the surrounding area.

4. There is evidence that the ivy helps keep walls dry. Although both the ivy and masonry can thrive if the masonry and mortar is of very high quality, periodically the ivy may have to be removed (pruned back to the ground) to limit root penetration and excessive growth, to inspect the condition of the wall, or to allow building maintenance. Typically this is done in winter or early spring when ivy leaves don't block your view and add weight.

Removal of Ivy From Brickwork Back to top

If you ever want to remove the ivy, be very cautious as you can easily pull the mortar off with the ivy. You may want to consult with a mason, who can help you evaluate the consequences of removing it or leaving it alone.

1.Cut the stems: Working in late winter or early cut the ivy stems as low down to the wall as you can manage. If you have some ivy-killing herbicide then paint this onto the exposed cuts parts of the ivy that connect to the root system, this will help prevent the roots from re-growing, note this will only help prevent the roots from re-growing, see 'Permanent removal of Ivy' for more details on how tokill ivy completely.

2. Prune Aggressively: As with removing from ivy from trees it is best to leave the cut ivy to die for 1-2years before attempting to remove from the brickwork. However it is not so beneficial to wait as the ivy tends to come away from walls easier, and there is less chance of it pulling the material that it is clinging to away with it.So either immediately or after a period of time simply prune, cut and generally pull the ivy off the brickwork. Whatever the state of the ivy, be prepared for this to behard-work!

3. Scrape off Tendrils and Suckers: Use a stiff-blade scraper to remove the part of the vines that remain fastened to the wall. Work slowly and scrape at a relatively low angle (about 20 to 30 degrees) to minimize scratching brick, and wear gloves to protect your scraping hand. If you are working from a ladder, make sure your ladder is on firm, level ground; keep one hand on the ladder and don't overextend your reach.

4. Scrub or Burn off Residue: If some plant material remains, you may be able to scrub it off with a moderately stiff brush (wire brushes and even very stiff brushes may scratch brick), use a paint scraper (with a small amount of paint remover for stubborn areas) or use a propane torch to burn it off. Caution: If you use a torch, remember to wear goggles, and keep it well away from any wood or cracks. Remember that there's more flame than you may be able to see, especially in strong sunlight. Test in an inconspicuous area to make sure using the torch won't permanently scorch the masonry.

Permanent Removal of Ivy Back to top

If you do wish to permanently kill ivy then you have a lot of work ahead of you! It is very difficult to kill the entire ivy plant, and can only be done with a lot of hard work and persistence.

Generally it is very difficult to kill an entire ivy plant by use herbicides alone. The two major factors that protect the ivy plant are its waxy leaves that prevent the uptake of the herbicide, and the other is its almost phenomenal resistance to most toxins. It is certainly possible to brown out foliage, and in some cases it will appear to have controlled the ivy plant permanently. However generally, over time, green shoots will appear out of the dead foliage. Timing of treatment is a factor, too. Different mixes of herbicides and surfactants applied at different times of the year seem to have different levels of effectiveness, the strongest herbicide that Whatprice have identified is sold by Crocus.

Skill and experience of the individual applying the herbicide also seems to have an effect. The best way to apply herbicide is to paint it onto fresh cuts in the plant stems. The alternative to herbicides is to use good old manual labour. Simply remove all the ivy shoots from your trees/fences/walls as described above, and then attack the roots! Chop the roots down as far as you can with pruning knives, axes, pruning-saws, or whatever you have handy, and then try to pull up or dig up as much of the root system as you can. If you do this thoroughly enough then you may be able to kill the ivy plant completely. Unfortunately it is rarely the case that you can attack and remove the roots completely. They may well grow under brick walls, or across your wonderfully turfed garden which you do not want to dig up completely. Therefore in most cases you will want to do a combined attack to kill the ivy. This involves cutting the ivy plant back as much as possible, and then painting any remaining exposed roots or stems with a concentrated herbicide. You may find that you have to do this several times a year, and possibly have to experiment with different herbicides before you finally kill the entire ivy plant. GOOD LUCK!