samboy Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 Hi gang. I need to get rid of some ivy that is becoming a bit of a problem. It is in a bit of an awkward place so apart from digging the roots out will weedkiller finish it off ?. Thank all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 Ivy doesn't take weedkiller very well - partly due to the waxy leaves. A little (i.e. a drop) of washing up liquid in the mix helps it 'wet' the leaves. Back in about February, I attacked some ivy growing up trees. Weedkiller was out as I didn't want to kill the trees or surrounding hedge. The huge and evergreen ivy must increase the weight and windage so much on the trees. It was old and well established and the stems were perhaps 4 inches in diameter near the ground. I cut it on several trees - and some the ivy has died off - others it goes on apparently unaffected. I can only assume I have missed a stem, but I'm perplexed that no leaves have browned at all despite several very major stems being cut through. Can ivy become parasitic on (i.e. get its water from) a tree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 Just had to trim a weeping willow which had split off a large branch ue to ivy acting like a giant sail in the wind. Cut it right down to the ground and then obtain some bramble/scrub killer and apply this to any regrowth. Normally does the job but you may have to keep at it. Just brush the 'juice' on with a soft brush and as said mixing a small amount of washing up liquid can make it stick on better. Young fresh leaves take it better than old ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretlurcher1970 Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 Have been at war with the ivy st home for 25 years. Have tried roundup , stump and root killer, diesel, creosote. The battle continues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 I killed a load using Rosate, mixed for killing brushwood, sprayed on young growth its not returned and that was 18 month plus ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretlurcher1970 Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 May try that. Easier to get than agent orange Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 Cut a section out 1 foot or so in length between the root and the rest. Spray the tips of the root with weedkiller. Keep spraying it as needed on any new re growth. The rest will go brown and you can pull it off as needed. The roots will die. Will take a while and easier to dig it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 2 minutes ago, GingerCat said: Cut a section out 1 foot or so in length between the root and the rest. That is what I did, although it is more like 3 or 4 inches rather than a foot - and I thought I had all of them (there were several plants on some of the trees. As the trees are in hedges with a deep ditch on one side, access is a bit tricky, and the ivy trunks were big in some cases (4" or more in diameter) 2 minutes ago, GingerCat said: The rest will go brown and you can pull it off as needed. Some have - completely .... but some where I have cut several major stems (all I could see) are still as green as ever. Can the ivy draw water in some way from the tree on which it grows? I didn't think it could, but I am beginning to wonder. Unfortunately, with summer hedge growth, it will have to wait until next February before I can see the base of the trees well again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 Just make sure you have cut all the stems and leave a good gap between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 12 minutes ago, GingerCat said: Just make sure you have cut all the stems and leave a good gap between. I will only be able to recheck properly when all the hedgerow leaves are gone. I left several inches gap (which has not regrown) and would certainly have cut the vast majority of the stems - but maybe there is one lurking where I couldn't see it. I got a friend to have a look - and he couldn't see any left and couldn't understand why some trees had the ivy die completely, whereas others ALL of the ivy leaves were still (same time frame) still looking green and healthy despite all visible stems cut away. Its a mystery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted June 28, 2021 Report Share Posted June 28, 2021 Ivy gets some water via the little roots on the stems, if I remember right. I know it takes a surprisingly long time (6 months?) for it to brown off when the major stems have all been cut. Having said that, if some have died off completely and others look untouched, you must have missed a stem or two! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted June 28, 2021 Report Share Posted June 28, 2021 34 minutes ago, sandspider said: Having said that, if some have died off completely and others look untouched, you must have missed a stem or two! I'm afraid that must be the case. i did a lot of trees in a wood - and the kill rate there has been good, near 100%, though the stems of ivy there were all less than 2". I did about 4 or 5 in hedgerows - and only one has had a really good 'kill'. Two others look as healthy as ever, and one looks a little wilted, but not dead. A very heavily infested tree on the edge of the wood with many large stems all round it was done in 2020 - and despite many (all visible) thick ivy stems being cut - the ivy, which goes 30 or more feet up the tree looks as healthy as ever! It is much easier to investigate in the winter when the hedge and undergrowth around the base has naturally died back - and the hedge been cut for the year, so on the back burner until then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted June 28, 2021 Report Share Posted June 28, 2021 On large stems don't cut drill hole downwards into stem without going through keep to centre when you have a hole as deep as you think it will go without going through or splitting, fill hole with neat roundup ,or sbk and fill hole when you can will kill roots and climbing as it drinks it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted July 1, 2021 Report Share Posted July 1, 2021 WHY??? Kill ivy? Unless it is on dangerous trees? It's amazing habitat for so many birds and other critters. Few old trees near me being held up by ivy. Loads of wildlife on them. Have loads of different managed ivy on my house, sheds and fence. It's where many of the birds in my garden nest, provides food and cover all round. Plenty of info out there on the benefits of. . . Has there been a move again recently against ivy? We have had a random ivy assassin/s locally the past few years. Taking it apon themselves to roam and cut ivy that had been established on mature healthy trees for generations, by roadsides, footpaths, woods and in hedges. One lot both sides all along an old sunken lane with many ancient oaks. Completly destroying a very unique special habitat that many of us had known all our lives. Land owners not happy and now looks a mess with little wildlife or cover for livestock. We could only think by the evidence it was ignorant incomers who thought they could go anywhere and do as they liked. Or thought they were doing good. But no one ever saw them. Pun not intended. . . How many times has ivy given us cover, shelter or place to put a hide along a bare hedge in winter or roost wood. NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted July 1, 2021 Report Share Posted July 1, 2021 14 minutes ago, NatureBoy said: WHY??? Kill ivy? The major reason is that once it gets well up the trees - being evergreen, it hugely increases the windage in winter. Normally, with trees that shed leaves in winter, they are able to withstand the winter gales as the lack of leaves reduces windage. Once the ivy gets high up, keeping its leaves in winter, it greatly increases the likelihood of the tree being blown over/loosing branches. After losing a biggish tree in a winter gale a couple of years ago, that also destroyed in falling two other younger trees and a gate - I have been trying to reduce the risk to those trees where I believe the ivy risks the whole tree (and itself). Incidentally - the ivy I am tacking is on my own land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted July 1, 2021 Report Share Posted July 1, 2021 See where you coming from John. Would do same If thought dangerous or a problem depending on tree. As you may of sussed i am a big fan of ivy generally. . . Shame to see so many ashe's dying or woodland they are in being trashed. Cheers. NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted July 1, 2021 Report Share Posted July 1, 2021 9 minutes ago, NatureBoy said: See where you coming from John. Would do same If thought dangerous or a problem depending on tree. As you may of sussed i am a big fan of ivy generally. . . Shame to see so many ashe's dying or woodland they are in being trashed. Cheers. NB I won't ever defeat it, but I think it needs to be 'controlled'. I have been trying to defeat it in my garden (dry stone) wall for years - and I can't with the war, but win an occasional battle! It destroys walls eventually. I have to admit to not being a fan, but it is in no danger from me overall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted July 1, 2021 Report Share Posted July 1, 2021 Just small areas of ivy valuable for wildlife if controlled regularly. Careful how i keep on top of it on my house. I experiment and manage different areas in different ways yearly. Others i know do the same. Always leaving some food and cover. Think hummingbird hawk moths also over winter in mine. Imagine very hard to control on stone walls, they another habitat in themselves. It has taken over my own panel fence and now protects it. Farmer has painting of lane i mentioned done in 1870, ivy looked about the same height 30-40ft on the old oaks then. Same on lot of old pics. We thought maybe it gets scorched back in winter or just a certain height it can pull nutrients. NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted July 1, 2021 Report Share Posted July 1, 2021 On 26/06/2021 at 18:34, Ferretlurcher1970 said: May try that. Easier to get than agent orange Napalm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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