IVY can add a charming and whimsical look to your garden and home, but it can also be really tricky to get rid of if you no longer want it.
In fact, English Ivy is known for being invasive and it’s can cause serious damage to brickwork and fences if it’s left to freely grow.
That’s exactly what one gardening fan discovered when they tried to get rod of the plant from their garden and it just kept coming back.
They reached out on the Gardening UK Facebook group to ask for any tips and tricks on banishing it for good.
He wrote: “What’s the best thing to kill ivy, need to get rid of in on fence and boundary walls?”
It’s important to deal with invasive ivy sooner rather than later, if it’s left it can lead to rot and decay, which can be costly and time consuming to fix.
Some gardening fans from the Facebook group suggested using boiling water to natural kill off the ivy – although this hack might work for certain plants though the it likely wouldn’t do the job with ivy because of it’s deep roots.
Instead, the pros suggested excavating the plant from the ground, ensuring to get all the roots out.
One person commented on the post: “Cut at the bottom, let the branches die and then pull off (preferably in September or later due to birds nesting).
“To actually stop it from coming back, dig dig dig, the roots spread and you’ll likely pull up ivy shoots for years, but small shoots are easily managed.”
And a second had similar advice, they suggested: “Cut it off at the base, pull as much off as you can and the rest will die off.
“Then you need to dig up the roots. It’s the only way to get rid of this plant forever.”
A third agreed cutting it at the base was a must, the added: “Cut it at the base, dig out the root and the ivy on the fence will permanently die pretty quickly and never come back.
“Once dead pull it off your fence. It’s less likely to damage the fence if you are able to wait and let it die off.”
Meanwhile, someone else shared their own experience: “I would have never got rid of mine without digging up the roots and I’ve had loads to get rid of. It was a nightmare but now free of it.”
“You gotta chop it at the base, and chop pieces out of the growing part. It will die off eventually but this is the only way to kill it, then pull off all the bits that die off,” another gardening fan chimed in.
Fellow gardening fans also shared their top tips in the Facebook group Mrs Hinch Made Me Do It, after one woman’s ivy nightmare.
They also suggested pulling out the roots, but added an extra step for good measure.
“Boiling water will kill off the roots after you’ve cut them back, just repeat for a few days and it should die off,” another said.
The heat from the water should kill off the remaining portion of the plant, and repeating the process will ensure the roots of the plant die off as well.
And for harder to remove Ivy, one gardening fan noted they has success using a pressure washer.
They explained: “You could try a pressure washer and I also used a wallpaper scraper for the really stubborn bits.”
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, Ivy “growing on buildings can be a cause for concern owing to its rapid pace of growth and worries about potential damage to the support structure.”
They explained: “First, consider whether this can be done using non-chemical means such as digging out or cutting the stem off at ground level.
“Where these methods are not feasible, chemical controls may need to be used.”
The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the 10 gardening jobs to take on during the last month of summer - and the all important ones to remember if you're going on holiday.
1. Watering plants on holiday
Think about how you’re going to water your plants if you’re going away. Irrigation systems are stupidly expensive – so ask a friend or neighbour to pop over.
2. Remember your houseplants!
For houseplants use the upside down bottle trick – where you fill a wine bottle and then tip it upside down, spout down, and stick it into the pot – the water should seep out slowly. For smaller plants you can use a thick piece of cord running from a glass of water, into the soil – so it slowly takes it up over time. Be sensible with your watering – vistit www.mains2rains.co.uk for some tips on how to conserve water in August. But use as much grey water – ie washing up water – as you can to save such a valuable resource.
3. Dig for potatoes
Second early potatoes should be ready to dig up.
4. Carry on deadheading
Use either secateurs or just pinch off the blooms with your finger and thumb. With roses, make sure you’re dead heading back to a set of five leaves, giving you the best chance of more blooms.
5. Plant strawberries
You can actually plant strawberries in late august – which will be ready next year. For the ones you already have – if they’ve got runners springing off them – try and pot them up to make more strawberries for free.
6. Prune lavenders
In late August once they’ve finished flowering cut back your lavender – always prune them back to the woody stems – but make sure you can still see some little buds.
7. Collect seeds
A lot of plants will start going to seed now – so it’s the perfect time to walk around collecting them to get free plants for next year – just make sure you label the envelopes.
8. Sow hardy annuals
Towards the end of the month, sow hardy annuals in order for them to flower next year. Try and choose sheltered spots for them.
9. Cut back roses
Prune back rambling roses and make sure they are all tied in. And in late August give your roses their last feed.
10. Keep on top of watering hanging baskets
It’s really important to keep hanging baskets hydrated – they are the first and the worst for drying out.
