"Janet Galpin" wrote in message
...


"Janet Galpin" wrote in message
...
I have just generated a few sackfuls of ivy shreddings. It's good stuff
- a nice mixture of woody and leafy, and quite fine. I would normally
simply add the shreddings to my compost heap.

However, I'm wondering whether to put them straight onto some
vegetable
beds and cover with black polythene in the hope that they will be
reasonably well rotted down by springtime. I'm just a bit concerned
that
in rotting they will deplete the soil of nitrogen, or is that just a
temporary effect when they're very fresh?

Janet G


The message
from "cineman" contains these words:

Rot down first otherwise the ivy could very well root and "Bingo"
perfect
ground cover. Try tying in black polythene sacks for a month or so to
start
the breakdown process. poke a few small holes for drainage.
regards
Cineman

The ivy is quite finely shredded. I wouldn't have thought it could root
from shreddings. I was hoping that covering with black polythene would
create the same kind of conditions as keeping them in black polythene
sacks.

Janet G

I always put mine straight on, shredded ivy wont root, but beware if there
were any seed heads, made that mistake one year and had a wonderful crop of
ivy seedlings (the blackbirds really don't need any help with that job!)
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)