Alan Holmes wrote:
[...]
I've just remembered that I've got ivy growing on a couple of my apple
trees, I've tried, not very sucessfully, to get rid of it.

Interesting. Did you try very hard? I'm imagining a grassed-down apple
tree, where the ivy's very shallow roots would be quite hard to get
out, or where the apple's feeding roots were very near the surface; but
in clear soil I've found they come out pretty well. I can't remember
your position on chemicals; but how about cutting off, and painting the
stumps with something nasty? (I don't like it, but I've done that a few
times with neat SBK where there really was no way to get a bramble or
tree seedling right out without disturbing something cherished.)

--
Mike.