Getting ris of clinging Ivy from outer walls of ouse - help please!!

breadlinebetty

Does anyone know the best and easiest way to get rid of clinging Ivy which is spreading on my outside walls and going up to the roof?:(

Thanks in advance!

ariba10

What we did was to cut it off as close to the ground as possible and waited for it to die.

(It took a long time to clear.)

Meadows

Cut it off at the ground, dig out the root and the ivy will die off eventually.

ChasingButterflies

Hi,

We had some very well established ivy on the front of our house (going from the ground right up to the apex of the roof!) Luckily I mentioned to Step Dad when he was visiting that we intended to remove it (once we had figured out how)

First of all [STRIKE]he [/STRIKE] we cut all of the smaller offshoots at around 4ft from the ground with branch loppers, which allowed us to cut the wires that the previous owner had attached to the wall for the ivy to grow through (I guess) We also removed all the ivy that had spread around/ over the window. We then cut all the ivy that had attached itself to the cables that run close to the apex, back down the ladder to cut through the main "trunk" at around 4 ft. In certain areas we also used a crowbar to free some of the thicker sections of ivy.

He then had the genius idea of weaving rope through the lower section of the ivy (above where we had cut) and then literally gave the rope a really good pull (with everyone standing back) The weight of the ivy meant that with a bit of encouragement it all came down really easily.

I imagine that this wouldn't be a health and safety approved method of removing ivy, however it would have taken me days to remove it strand by strand all done in 30 minutes or so (the 4ft section is still there waiting to be dug out - I have been putting it off as it seems welded to the wall... I think today is the day for going on a saw hunt!

laurel7172

If you cut it off at the base, the top should, theoretically, die off.

I once did this (chose a mortar line and followed it around the house cutting through everything at that level), and the blasted stuff kept growing. The gardener I eventually paid to scrape the ivy off the walls said that it wasn't uncommon-ivy absorbs water from the air through its aerial roots...

It depends how fast you want rid of it, really. The cutting through at base level *usually* works, but takes ages. Physical removal is faster, but harder and horribly wheezy work. Saw/axe for the thick stems and I recommend using a hoe to scrape the ivy off the wall.

Be aware, though, that the wall will be left covered in roots. I haven't had ivy for five years, and you can still see where it was...

As for the remaining stump, repeated applications of glyphosate do kill off regrowth eventually. You can then spend ages with a saw and axe removing the stump (I did this with one of mine) or ignore it because it's hidden in a corner and discover you can knock it apart with a few good kicks a couple of years later (I did this with another).

poorly_scammo

Not very eco friendly but I chopped mine down then poured petrol into the stump. It killed it in days.

blossomhill_2

I'd advise agaisnt cutting it off at the ground and leaving the rest on the wall - when it is in the ground it gets its water from a ground source - once it's disconnected it draws water from the mortar in your wall and you can be left with crumbling mortar!

geoffky

Anyone else shake their head when they see ivy going up a house knowing the damage it can do? We had trees with the stuff all over and i cut from ground level and two years later it is still around the tree but dead..The wind will sort it eventually..

sassyblue

geoffky wrote: »

Anyone else shake their head when they see ivy going up a house knowing the damage it can do?

Yep. I love to see it as a small plant finding its way along but Once it starts sticking to things it's time to go.

blossomhill_2

geoffky wrote: »

Anyone else shake their head when they see ivy going up a house knowing the damage it can do? We had trees with the stuff all over and i cut from ground level and two years later it is still around the tree but dead..The wind will sort it eventually..

Oh yes, :eek:
Well in Victorian times it was encouraged as a form of insulation - but we know better now

savemoney

Some types of Ivy can leave some scares on brickwork. I have some growing on a outside wall in garden and it spreads easily grown over wall on part of my small garden and spread via its roots. I just cut it down last week as I was getting sick of it taking over that end of the garden. I haven't killed it out right though