thick ivy roots

Valerie2023

This ivy went right to the top of my garage. I planted it years ago and liked it, but then it started to get unmanageable. I've cut it down as far as I can with a small garden saw, secateurs-- and pulling it away from the wall. How do I get rid of the rest of it?  Or have I reached the stage where I need to call in a gardener?

twopenny

Maybe it's time to get some brushwood killer. Cut the stems open again and paint on usually.

That will make it dry and brittle so easier to deal with.

Or you could tidy it up and make a garden sculpture out of it

Farway

twopenny said:

Maybe it's time to get some brushwood killer. Cut the stems open again and paint on usually.

That will make it dry and brittle so easier to deal with.

Or you could tidy it up and make a garden sculpture out of it

The brushwood killer will work, slow but sure. May need a couple of goes just to be sure.

Then you can "wiggle"" the top & the top will break off from the roots, just leave the roots in the ground to rot unless you feel like some exercise

Valerie2023

Maybe it's time to get some brushwood killer. Cut the stems open again and paint on usually.

That will make it dry and brittle so easier to deal with.

The brushwood killer will work, slow but sure. May need a couple of goes just to be sure.

Then you can "wiggle"" the top & the top will break off from the roots, just leave the roots in the ground to rot

Thank you! Exactly what I needed to know. I'll get the brushwood killer.

baser999

Why not dig it out? Might need something like a mattock to break up the root

Eldi_Dos

@Valerie2023
Get yourself a sharp wood saw and cut the Ivy stumps as close to ground as possible then cover what is left with a old carpet offcut or some robust black plastic (compost bag) then cover with soil or compost.This will stop main body of Ivy from resprouting, although some runners may appear further along they will be easier to deal with.

Lift carpet or plastic next year.

Valerie2023

Eldi_Dos said:

@Valerie2023
Get yourself a sharp wood saw and cut the Ivy stumps as close to ground as possible then cover what is left with a old carpet offcut or some robust black plastic (compost bag) then cover with soil or compost.This will stop main body of Ivy from resprouting, although some runners may appear further along they will be easier to deal with.

Lift carpet or plastic next year.

After treating with brushwood killer a few times, I got a small garden saw and cut off as much as I could (reduced it to about a third of what's shown in the picture). covered what was left with thick black plastic (inside out compost bag) 

A year on... Uncovered it yesterday and using the garden saw and a small treelopper cut away the rest of it. Then dug down a few inches with a trowel and snipped and sawed off as much  as I could reach. (Most of it)  It took ages and was hard work but well worth the effort.

There was no new growth to be seen, so hoping the  bits of root I couldn't reach, will eventually disentegrate. No sign of any ivy above ground now. . 

FreeBear

Valerie2023 said: A year on... Uncovered it yesterday and using the garden saw and a small treelopper cut away the rest of it. Then dug down a few inches with a trowel and snipped and sawed off as much  as I could reach. (Most of it)  It took ages and was hard work but well worth the effort.

There was no new growth to be seen, so hoping the  bits of root I couldn't reach, will eventually disentegrate. No sign of any ivy above ground now. .

I had a very thick lump of ivy that had been growing up a pole used for a washing line. Cut it down best I could close to ground level, and it never sprouted again. Eventually got the stump out with a mattock and some brute force.

If I had to do it again, I'd use a sabre saw with a tungsten tipped blade (great for getting bamboo out).

Eldi_Dos

@Valerie2023
Thats a good result, hard work for sure but worth it. Thanks for reporting back it is nice to hear of a success.