Re: Satisfaction
gardenchat@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: Satisfaction
  • From: B* <b*@comcast.net>
  • Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:19:42 +0000 (UTC)
In certain zones, it can be very troublesome. I'm at the point where I
need to cut it back out of the trees as much as I can and mow the stuff
that grows under the trees. I've already done one major spot and need to
work on the others but it will have to be early May before I can do
that. It can kill the trees.


ETN Zone 7 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Aplfgcnys@aol.com 
To: gardenchat@hort.net 
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 3:29:38 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Satisfaction 

I have English Ivy growing beside my foundation that came from the 
house where I grew up in the Florida panhandle. It grew under the 
house there (houses in those days in that area were built up on 
stilts for passive air-conditinoning). That was more than half a century 
ago. I moved it from the other house where we lived befor we came 
here. It has never been a problem. It fills in a couple of otherwise 
bare spaces, but never gets out of hand. When my boys were small 
one of them gave me a small pot of a small-leaved ivy for Mother's 
Day. That grows over the large boulder beside my driveway and 
looks quite nice except when the deer strip it off. Neither has ever 
been a problem. A bit of it also grows under the trees on my back 
slope where I don't even try to grow grass. It and the violets make a 
nice groundcover, but it has never tried to climb the trees. Guess it 
all depends on where you are growing it. 
Auralie 

In a message dated 2/13/2010 11:45:36 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
kmrsy@comcast.net writes: 

When I first began to garden, I planted english ivy. I even propagated it 
and sold it. Planted it for a friend. I eventually realized the error of 
my ways and have gotten rid of most of it, but a little is ok in certain 
places. If I forget to pay attention and find it has climbed a tree.... 
NEVER just pull it off. You will take the tree bark with it. Just sever it 
at the base and let it wither, die, and fall off, just as you did. Some 
will hang on but when it is totally dead, it is possible to pull it down 
without taking all the tree bark with it. However, it's going to grow back 
from roots that go 3 feet deep unless you take further action. I have had 
some english ivy die during one very severe winter, but generally it always 
comes back. 
The main batch of it that I continually fight is what my northern neighbor 
has planted. Ivy travels south and it keeps coming under the fence. I let 
it go awhile but every once in awhile I have to go on the attack with it. 

Kitty 
neIN, Zone 5 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pam Evans" <gardenqueen@gmail.com> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net> 
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 10:19 AM 
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Satisfaction 


> Yeah, that's bad stuff. Right up there w/ kudzu I'm thinking. It really 
> takes over. Virginia creeper tries to do that to my house but I yank it 
> out 
> as soon as I see it creeping up the siding... 
> 
> On 2/13/10, andreah <andreah@hargray.com> wrote: 
>> 
>> I don't know if I told you all that I have an English ivy problem at the 
>> house. Apparently, someone thought it was a good idea to plant it as a 
>> ground cover some 30 years ago or more. It has grown up into a couple of 
>> oak 
>> trees and is so long that it almost hangs to the ground. I don't know 
why 
>> I 
>> didn't think of it when I moved in (lost my mind for a few?) but I 
>> started 
>> researching how to get rid of it. It's right up there with Wisteria in my 
>> book, Satan's vine. Anyway, I took a Sawzall (sp?) to it back in 
>> December. 
>> The trunks on this thing are bigger around than my arm and I don't have 
>> small arms. Well, nothing happened. Again, I guess I lost what little 
>> horticultural knowledge I had in the past 2 years. I talked to a tree guy 
>> at 
>> a home and garden show and he said give it 3-4 months to use up all its 
>> reserves. Guess what, every time the wind blows massive amounts of ivy 
>> leaves hit the ground and I get a glowing sense of satisfaction from 
>> seeing 
>> my yard covered with them. DIE!!!! MUUUHHAAAAAHAAAAAA!!!!!!! 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> The tree guy told me to call him once they were all dead and he'd come 
>> clean 
>> up the tree for me. If I had a cherry picker, I'd do it myself! 
>> 
>> The point is, now my totally shaded garden will get some much needed 
>> bright 
>> light. I can hardly wait to see how much better the garden grows this 
>> year. 
>> 
>> A 

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