The neighbour were skeptical : “ Wow ” , “ yikes ” , “ have fun ” , “ just luck with that ! ” I was give them a capitulum - up that I was ultimately removing the English ivy – mixed in with vinca , coast banksia , Virginia creeper , wisteria , and of grade poison ivy – from 1600 sq . ft . along the back edge of my yard ( header film ) . And I wo n’t lie down , it take some human elbow grease , a little Nuprin , and about 20 minute on my hands and knees , but now I have a nice clear space for native , non - invasive plants .
English ivy ( Hedera helix ) is aboriginal to Europe but has been grown in North America since the early 18thcentury . Its utility as ground blanket is undeniable : it ’s evergreen , grows quickly , and tolerates shade , drouth , and a variety of soil types . These characteristic , of course , also make it easy for English ivy to propagate where it is n’t wanted . Notably , English ivy can climb – and destabilize – walls , fence , and trees ( word-painting 1 ) . What ’s more , few native louse or bird feed on its leaves and ejaculate . For these reasons , many gardeners these days are removing English ivy and substitute it with less strong-growing soil cover charge that supports native species .
After a little reading – my sources are list at the remainder of the clause – I decided to dispatch my English ivy by simply cut it out . But it ’s worth mentioning other method acting that might be useful under the ripe destiny :
Picture 2.A few basic putz are all you need .
Removing English Hedera helix
The pecker for manually removing English ivy are reasonably simple ( Picture 2 ): clipper , shovel , and rake ( if the ivy is cover by leave ) . In accession , apply personal protective gear : farsighted drawers , boots , and rubber gloves . This is because English common ivy has the little - known dimension of spark a skin skin rash similar to the one triggered by poison ivy . Mostly the sap of the English Hedera helix causes the roseola , as oppose to the leaves , but manual removal involve a flock of cutting of stems and roots , and therefore a lot of picture to sap . ( strike your Friend and family : the main allergen in English ivy is falcarinol , as opposed to urushiol in poison ivy . )
Start by cutting the vines with a shovel or edging tool in two parallel lines ( Picture 3 ) , making a strip about 4 foot encompassing . This is the really decisive step because it assure you wo n’t be try out to pull long vine out of the land . Then rake away the leaves on the comic strip between the shovel cuts ( Picture 4 ) – no need to hit them along with the ivy .
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Next , use clipper ship to cut across the trimmed and raked striptease , perpendicular to the initial power shovel cut ( Picture 5 , step 1 ) . hack mightily at terra firma level , or even a little below , to make certain to trim back the ascendent and not just the vines . While reduce , overstretch the freed vine back towards you , making a lax slew and expose the soil ( Picture 5 , step 2 ) . Then simply sour backwards , cutting across and pulling back , until the entire airstrip is free of common ivy ( Picture 6 ) . It took me about an hour to exonerate one 4 by 20 foot strip .
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After that , it ’s just a matter of repeat . Make a new stinger with the excavator to create another 4 - foot strip . Rake the leaf if desired , then dive in with the clippers to polish off the ivy . Proceed one 4 - foot strip show at a clip ( Pictures 7 and 8) , until the area is cleared ( Picture 9 ) .
A couple of “ technical ” points : ( 1 ) It ’s potential to pull out many of the shallower root word entirely , rather than merely cutting them off at land level . No guarantees , but I intend this should reduce regrowth . To do this , work on the limiter under the roots and gently pull them up to the surface , without break them ( Picture 10 ) . Then attract horizontally , i.e. parallel to the ground , to free the end of the root ( Picture 11 ) . And ( 2 ) For large root stumps still in the soil , count “ painting ” some saturated glyphosate / Roundup on the swing end with a cotton swob .
lastly , how proficient to dispose of the vine ? Do n’t just floor them on a compost or brush lot because they may re - ascendent . Even shredding vines with a lawnmower or wood - chipper could allow slice large enough to grow new roots . A good option is to dry the vines thoroughly on a tarp or piece of sidewalk , then rip up them . Another method acting is to put the vines in black trash udder and give them in the sun for several week , until they ’ve “ cooked ” enough to be non - viable . Personally , I took vantage of Charlottesville ’s excellent $ 35 bulk getaway service .
Final thoughts , a few months after removal
I off the vines from the ground in December 2021 . Six or seven months later , I ’m honestly surprised by how little English ivy is growing back . I ’ve check the cleared sphere every few week this spring , and I ’d say that no more than a duad dozen English ivy sprouts have emerge . They ’ve been prosperous to find and remove , but I ’m certain that it will be at least a few years before the last remnant of the vine are gone .
The next challenge for this area will be the seed that have been lurking under the vine . Mostly I ’m concerned aboutJapanese stiltgrass ( PDF linkup ) , which has already necessitate over another corner of the curtilage . To harness this , I ’ll be relying oninvasive specie alarum emailsfrom the Blue Ridge Partnership for Invasive Species Management ( PRISM ) , which describe timing and method acting for controlling the most common encroaching specie in the Virginia Piedmont .
The honorable news program , though , is that the area is mostly absolved of invasive plant life . And now I have a fantastical vacuous slating for native , deer - resistive , shade - loving wildflowers , shrubs , and understory trees that will bring home the bacon home ground and living for birds and insect and maybe even – I ’m recall of try on to develop ramps out there – the local two - legged mammals .
reference and further read
Blue Ridge Partnership for Invasive Species Management ( PRISM)Blue Ridge PRISM
check English Ivy in Urban LandscapesNorth Carolina Cooperative Extension
English Ivy- Friend or Foe?North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Pest Alert – English Ivy RashNorth Carolina Cooperative Extension
English Ivy ControlClemson Cooperative Extension
Ivy Removal in a Home LandscapeOregon State University Extension Service
English Ivy Can Be ContainedOregon State University Extension Service
Managing Invasive Plants : Methods of Control ( PDF link)University of New Hampshire Extension
Take Ivy Off TreesTree Stewards of Arlington and Alexandria , Virginia [ This topic was n’t covered in this clause but for guard reasonableness – seePicture 1 – it ’s critically important . ]
All impression by the author .
