killing ivy overgrowing a fence and my garden

koiboy

Hi i have a major problem with ivy its overgrowing my fence and coming into the garden swamping my plants how can i kill this thuggish plant????

Apodemus

Personally, I would just relax and enjoy the wildlife benefits!

But if you can't do that, simply trim it with shears at a convenient line along the fence. It's not so fast-growing that you would need to do this more than once or twice a year and is a fairly quick job.

rach_k

I would just cut it back too. We have a small garden where the fences were overgrown with ivy (it was about a metre deep on each side). When we had the fences replaced, the workmen just pulled it out along with the fence and it hasn't grown back at all. We hardly see any birds in the garden now, which is a shame, so I'm in favour of leaving at least some. If you do want to remove most/all of it, just cut it right back - even if you kill it first, you'll still have to physically remove it so not much difference.

KxMx

Apodemus wrote: »

Personally, I would just relax and enjoy the wildlife benefits!

But if you can't do that, simply trim it with shears at a convenient line along the fence. It's not so fast-growing that you would need to do this more than once or twice a year and is a fairly quick job.

Disagree.

Ivy can need cutting back as often as once or twice a month during spring/summer, and then maybe over winter once or twice overall.

This is the rate I have to do it as neghbours have ivy and never do anything to their garden themselves.

Gers

I killed mine by spraying with glysophate and cutting the stems. It takes some killing but it's done. It was on the garden stone wall which I wanted to keep. Now it's been replaced with a clematis which (last year) was growing up the dead ivy stems.

I_have_spoken

Chop as many of the main stems as you can see close the ground, ensuring you take a 2cm section out of each stem.

Leave for 4 months so the top growth withers back, then pull/cut off. Wear gloves, face mask and protective goggles due to irritating dust.

Use a mattock to remove roots.

Datchet

Turning the plot over with a fork & Rotavator - destroying the weeds that I didn't keep on top of last year!

Still, it's a very productive allotment and combined with the home plot - provides lots of good stuff. Last year the winning crop was fabulous Borlotto Beans - stored dry then used in stews and as baked beans - fabulous texture & flavour!

Happy growing everyone!:T