Ivy epedemic

[12boreblue]

Has anyone noticed the amouunt of ivy on the trees at the moment, it suddenly dawned on me how ivy is growing on almost every tree on my permission.

 

I took a walk around my permission and a local woodland and over 95% of trees had ivy growth, in one area the ground was covered in a blanket of it. I am presuming it's the weather, but was shocked to see so much.

 

Is it like that where you are?

[JDog]

Forty years ago there was very little Ivy growing in the countryside. When Oil seed rape was introduced pigeons got through the winter in ever increasing numbers by eating the leaves. The increasing numbers also started to eat Ivy berries as a change in diet. That is when Ivy began to find it's way round the bases of trees in the countryside.

[steve_b_wales]

There's loads growing on the trees around my permissions. I usually cut the stems at base level if possible.

[anser2]

Great stuff Ivy for wildlife. Contary to poplar opinion it does not strangle trees , but if it becomes too much may make a tree top heavy and help cause it to fall over in a gale and the odds are the tree was already sick for that to happen. Meanwhile a host of birds and insects use it. Its in flower when almost all other flowers have finnished for the year hence a nectar source for many late bufferflies , moths , bees and so on , the berries support not only wood pigeons , but wintering blackcap . robins , blackbirds and more. It makes great nesting cover for many birds too. So before removing it make sure its realy neccessary, our countryside is already much too tidy for our wildlife.

Edited March 31, 2013 by anser2

[Reece]

Great stuff Ivy for wildlife. Contary to poplar opinion it does not strangle trees , but if it becomes too much may make a tree top heavy and help cause it to fall over in a gale. Meanwhile a host of birds and insects use it. Its in flower when almost all other flowers have finnished for the year hence a necta source for many late insects, the berries support not only wood pigeons , but wintering blackcap . robins , blackbirds and more. It makes great nesting cover for many birds too. So before removing it make sure its realy neccessary, our countryside is already much too tidy for our wildlife.

 

+1

 

Little tip, keep an eye on ivy when controlling grey squirrels. Sometimes you'll see dreys or squirrels hiding there, we've shot one or two out of these trees. Pigeons hide in it sometimes as well.