I am a newbie to this forum and have just recently started into gardening. I've had some sucesses and lots of failures, and hopefully you can help me with the latter. My question is: I planted English Ivy on a trellis on the south side of my house about midsummer. It grew fantastically, much to my surprise. (I always thought it loved shade.) Will the new growth come off of the existing vines, or should I cut it back? If I do need to cut it back, how much do I trim? Thanks in advance for the advice. DeeDeeFox
Plants: 3 | From: Agawam, MA | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 71.192.232.219
posted
Ivy is one of those plants that look fantastic until they start to eat your home. Keep cutting it back and limit it to the trellis because it will suck the mortar out of your bricks, encourage mildew on your home and just generally tick you off when you look back and wonder what you were thinking planting ivy. Do I sound like I have experienced the magical wonders of ivy?
posted
I started a spot from just a few cuttings, and has just about taken over a flower bed. I started it for ground cover.
Don't worry about cutting it, it WILL grow back.
* * * * One OS to rule them, one OS to find them: One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie. Plants: 1077 | From: Haskell Oklahoma Zone 6b | Registered: Feb 2005
| Seeded: 152.132.9.73
posted
English ivy is very tolerant of the sun. But grows quite well in deep shade.
* * * * I love the sweet scents wafting in the breeze. I stop to admire the vibrant colors of all living things. And people think me odd. Then ODD I am!!!
posted
I can be very invasive, I use it for ground cover. If it gets to out of control, I take the weed eater to it. I planted it underneath my Cherry trees to control weeds.
* * * * One OS to rule them, one OS to find them: One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie. Plants: 1077 | From: Haskell Oklahoma Zone 6b | Registered: Feb 2005
| Seeded: 69.30.152.15
posted
Thanks for all those speedy replies. I agree it grows fast - you can almost watch it grow. So I assume I can cut it back aggressively in the spring? Also, one side of my yard is totally void of grass, it's just bare spots and weeds. We do have to walk over there as that's where the water spigot is. If I plant this ivy there, can we walk on it?
deedeefox
Plants: 3 | From: Agawam, MA | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 152.163.101.7
posted
You can walk on it, but it does have some pretty sturdy vines, as it grows/creeps along and out, and gets older...... *and attaches at every leaf node.. so ther'es roots all along the vine...*
I'd sort of be a little worried about tripping on it as I walked...
* * * * Weezie
Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. - Bible - Hebrews 13:2
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