"Laura at theGardenPages" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ivy needs very little grip. You may need to 'tack' a few tentrils onto
the wall when you first plant it, but it will 'catch' fairly quickly.
You could tie it up with a few nails. It developes suckers on the
stems where it connects to anything.

BUT, ivy can be very invasive and destructive. You can train it to
climb up, but it will want to spread on the ground, so you'll want to
keep an eye on that. Once it is rooted, it is very difficult to remove
- take my word. Also, watch that it doesn't grow in between your wood
slats or other openings in the wood. Eventually it will pull the wood
apart.

I would not put Boston Ivy on wood siding. It will definitely grow under
clapboards and between the narrowest edges of trim and force the clapboards
away from the house. It also causes moisture retention which can lead to
potential rot, especially when the clapboards get a gap between them.

-al sung
Rapid Realm Technology, Inc.
Hopkinton, MA (Zone 6a)