Next door neighbours Ivy

reluctanthousewife

My neighbour has Ivy growing up her fence which comes over to my property and I hate it but put up with it for the past 10 years. She would come over and cut it now and then.

But I have had a conservatory built and there is a gap between the wall and the fence. The Ivy is coming through the fence and will eventually attach itself to the wall and pretty much climb up it.

I have said I don't want it growing up the wall and she said it won't damage the wall. However she agreed to cut it when I said its my property and my choice not to have it growing up. she said she will get someone to try to deal with it if she can't. But in the meantime relations have soured and she has done nothing about it.

I know I can cut the Ivy that comes over to my side but it's difficult to remove from that gap.. And I think I'm pretty much stuck as to what I can do.

Any suggestions?

cyclonebri1

Weedkiller by spray, glyphosate.


Incidentally ivy won't damage a sound wall in itself but it will find any cracks or gaps in pointing and gradually grow into these creating issues.
The damp brought about by it creates an environment that prevents brickwork dry out after weather again, can be a longtime issue. I would do above if in your place now that she isn't your "best friend" any more

reluctanthousewife

Thank you will try the weed killer

SplanK

need to be carful here. If it damages the plant on *her* side then could this not be seen as criminal damage, especially as there is intent....?


Can you not get down the gap to trim it and keep it at bay? If not, then in my opinion as you have created a further problem, and already knowing about the ivy prior to having your conservatory built is not the fault of the neighbour. Seems a little unfair to kill off her plant because you created a maintenance problem....


If no care is given, then rather than spraying the weed killer on, I have had much better results getting rid of larger unwanted plants by getting an old milk bottle, pouring in the weed killer and water up to about just above half the bottle, I do a ratio of. 75:25 mix (weedkiller:water), and then getting a handful of the problematic plant and immersing it in. Secure the bottle well as you don't want it tipping over! That way, its in contact for much longer. I did this with some rather invasive bamboo and within a month it was fully killed of the plant and it never returned.

tizzle6560

You could get a pair of extendable long-armed shears if the gap between is too tight to get into yourself?

Mojisola

reluctanthousewife wrote: »

But I have had a conservatory built and there is a gap between the wall and the fence. The Ivy is coming through the fence and will eventually attach itself to the wall and pretty much climb up it.

I know I can cut the Ivy that comes over to my side but it's difficult to remove from that gap.. And I think I'm pretty much stuck as to what I can do.

How are you going to do maintenance on the conservatory if the gap is too small to get down?

dominoman

You'll struggle to have any effect on ivy with glyphosate. The leaves are too waxy. If you do use it then mix in a spot of Fairy Liquid first.

But of course the problem is that weedkillers are designed to be drawn down into the roots and kill the whole plant. That could sour your neighbourly relations so talk about it with her first

cyclonebri1

dominoman wrote: »

You'll struggle to have any effect on ivy with glyphosate. The leaves are too waxy. If you do use it then mix in a spot of Fairy Liquid first.

But of course the problem is that weedkillers are designed to be drawn down into the roots and kill the whole plant. That could sour your neighbourly relations so talk about it with her first

Not if you use the proffessional version Roseate 360, it's about 5 times stronger and still readily available, check out ebay.

As a previous poster said apply it neat to the plant by brush, I can asure you it will work and and inspite of a yet earlier post, you have every rigjht to treat a plant growing through onto your property, even if it could be proven that you had, which it won't.

Silver-Surfer_2

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Not if you use the proffessional version Roseate 360, it's about 5 times stronger and still readily available, check out ebay.

As a previous poster said apply it neat to the plant by brush, I can asure you it will work and and inspite of a yet earlier post, you have every rigjht to treat a plant growing through onto your property, even if it could be proven that you had, which it won't.

Maybe you can provide a link to the legislation that covers that to assist the op?

He'll need the bit about treating it with weed killer that may destroy the whole plant rather than the part about cutting back to the boundary over hanging shrubbery. :D;);)

SplanK

^^ as above. You are allowed to trim back anything that grows over (law states you should always offer it back to the owner of the plant), however killing it outright can land you in trouble...


granted, difficult to prove, but the neighbour can make life difficult for the OP and if a grievance is created, it has to then be declared when you sell your house....


In addition, it seems like the OP has caused herself more issues by not leaving an adequate maintenance gap between the boundary and the conservatory. This is not the fault of her neighbour, and killing off a plant on the neighbours side is unfair regardless, especially as the neighbour had previously offered and actively attempting to keep the plant from spilling over to the other side.


However, there maybe something in law which may give you protection from 'nascence', which OP could argue is the case here given it sounds like a rapid growing plant which could attach itself to her property, but I suspect that will only have legs if it was not maintained, which the neighbour has been doing....

SplanK

http://www.safegardening.co.uk/can-neighbour-spray-weedkiller-into-garden.html


Just one of many useful articles that back my point up re criminal damage and property destruction.