I have been looking around for awhile on the internet and can't figure
out what is killing my ivy. We have a substantial part of our yard as
ground-cover for ivy and I am convinced the Ivy is infected ,
evidenced by many large dead spots as well as some type of white
cobwebs all over the place.

Anyway, since I don't know how to describe it, here are several
pictures which should clean up the situation.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/4...cframe1zl7.jpg
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3...cframe2kd8.jpg
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/7...cframe3cf7.jpg
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/3...cframe4gp0.jpg

Thanks in advance for any information! (If the climate matters, I live
in Northern Virginia.)

Best,

Tim

Your plant does look very sick. Your photographs suggest it is both thirsty and lacking nourishment. To confirm this I suggest you dig up a small 'out-of-the-way' section which you won't miss - (only a couple of feet) and see the state of the soil and root. I suspect it will be dry and dust-like.

If this is the case the best and quickest thing to do in the long run is to dig up the whole lot including the top 2ft of ground and replace with new soil. Then replant the best of what you've put aside and kept moist and out of the sun. If you can afford to - use new plants.

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:18:38 -0700, Tim wrote:
I have been looking around for awhile on the internet and can't figure
out what is killing my ivy. We have a substantial part of our yard as
ground-cover for ivy and I am convinced the Ivy is infected ,
evidenced by many large dead spots as well as some type of white
cobwebs all over the place.

Anyway, since I don't know how to describe it, here are several
pictures which should clean up the situation.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/4...cframe1zl7.jpg
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3...cframe2kd8.jpg
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/7...cframe3cf7.jpg
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/3...cframe4gp0.jpg

Thanks in advance for any information! (If the climate matters, I live
in Northern Virginia.)

White cobwebs could just be spiders cleaning up the insects. The two
things I'd guess first are a bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas
campestris, and too much sun.

Send a sample in to your plant pathology clinic.

Or just rip it up and plant something better. (English ivy is a real pest
out here in the PNW -- I've ripped up tons of it.)

Kay

Wow, great advice -- even if it is not "put some of x on it and it
will be fine". Sorry for the novice question, but what is a plant
pathology clinic, how do I find them, who are they, etc?

Also, what type of ivy do I have? Any ideas?

best,

Tim

plant pathology clinic

Also, any ideas on how I can fix this problem . . .

Best,

Tim

In article ,
Kay Lancaster wrote:

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:18:38 -0700, Tim wrote:
I have been looking around for awhile on the internet and can't figure
out what is killing my ivy. We have a substantial part of our yard as
ground-cover for ivy and I am convinced the Ivy is infected ,
evidenced by many large dead spots as well as some type of white
cobwebs all over the place.

Anyway, since I don't know how to describe it, here are several
pictures which should clean up the situation.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/4...cframe1zl7.jpg
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3...cframe2kd8.jpg
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/7...cframe3cf7.jpg
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/3...cframe4gp0.jpg

Thanks in advance for any information! (If the climate matters, I live
in Northern Virginia.)

White cobwebs could just be spiders cleaning up the insects. The two
things I'd guess first are a bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas
campestris, and too much sun.

Send a sample in to your plant pathology clinic.

Or just rip it up and plant something better. (English ivy is a real pest
out here in the PNW -- I've ripped up tons of it.)

Kay

"Pest" is way to immodest a word for English ivy. If anyone knows of
some method, short of herbicides or hard, vigilant work to remove it,
I'd love to hear it. Even when you pull it up, you have to stake it out
on hot dry ground or it will try and re-root.
--
FB - FFF

Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

In article .com,
Tim wrote:

Wow, great advice -- even if it is not "put some of x on it and it
will be fine". Sorry for the novice question, but what is a plant
pathology clinic, how do I find them, who are they, etc?

Also, what type of ivy do I have? Any ideas?

best,

Tim

plant pathology clinic

(Slamming head against wall) How have you stayed alive so long? GOOGLE
IT. GET A LIBRARY BOOK. CALL YOUR LOCAL UNIVERSITY or HIGH SCHOOL
BIOLOGY DEPT. ASK A HITCH HIKER. Conversation comes in two parts. One is
talking and the other is LISTENING. Don't be so freakin' helpless.
--
FB - FFF

Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

On Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:14:15 -0700, Billy Rose wrote:

"Pest" is way to immodest a word for English ivy. If anyone knows of
some method, short of herbicides or hard, vigilant work to remove it,
I'd love to hear it. Even when you pull it up, you have to stake it out
on hot dry ground or it will try and re-root.

Dog pee can set it back a bit. Though that might be considered an
herbicide g. I make ivy balls and park 'em on big
rocks (we have an abundance!) till they're nice and crispy...
Some of the local school classes have made 20 ft ivy balls in one day...

Kay

On Sat, 04 Aug 2007 17:01:00 -0000, Tim wrote:
Wow, great advice -- even if it is not "put some of x on it and it
will be fine". Sorry for the novice question, but what is a plant
pathology clinic, how do I find them, who are they, etc?

Plant pathologists are the folks who study plant diseases; you'll typically
have access to them through the Extension Service -- the actual plant
pathologists are usually located at the state "ag" school.
In Virginia: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/~clinic
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/~clinic/450_097.php
Since you have photos, I'd print them off and include them with your
submission.

Kay

On Sat, 04 Aug 2007 17:01:00 -0000, Tim wrote:
Also, what type of ivy do I have? Any ideas?

Can't really tell from the photos, but it looks like plain ol' English
ivy, Hedera helix.

Alas, I'm better able to tell you how to get rid of it than keep it...
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/hehe1.htm

Out here we have parties to try to keep it under control:
http://www.noivyleague.com/ If you really want some more, I'd be happy to
let you help yourself to a few hundred pounds of the stuff from our place...

Kay, who really needs to get back to pulling ivy

My suggestion still goes. Your soil is poor, so even if you do all that investigating bit, your core problem remains. If you can put something different in its place in your new soil so much the better. Look around and see what your neighbours are doing. It looks like the area is desperate for colour. Either flowering shrubs or flowering shrubs with a colourful plants running through.

In article ,
Winsford wrote:

The best and quickest thing to do in the long run is to dig up the whole
lot including the top 2ft of ground and replace with new soil.

Reminds me of when our first child was born. To aid my wife with
housework and such, we were counseled to get a maid. I'm sure we were in
the wrong hospital.
--
FB - FFF

Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

Tim wrote:
I have been looking around for awhile on the internet and can't figure
out what is killing my ivy. We have a substantial part of our yard as
ground-cover for ivy and I am convinced the Ivy is infected ,
evidenced by many large dead spots as well as some type of white
cobwebs all over the place.

Anyway, since I don't know how to describe it, here are several
pictures which should clean up the situation.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/4...cframe1zl7.jpg
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3...cframe2kd8.jpg
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/7...cframe3cf7.jpg
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/3...cframe4gp0.jpg

Thanks in advance for any information! (If the climate matters, I live
in Northern Virginia.)

Best,

Tim

My ivy near house looks like this in the spring due to the rats with
hooves. It recovers in the summer but I cannot get it established on
banks away from the house.
Frank