On 20/10/07 21:48, in article ,
"Malcolm Race" wrote:

VX wrote:
I have traditional wooden fence (planks nailed to arris rails) 3 ft high with
wooden trellis3ft high above that, all treated with Cuprinol 5-year Sprayable
wood treatment.

What I'd really like is to grow some ivy on this and have, once established,
an evergreen screen. I was all set to do this until I read in a book
(Readers' Digest 1001 Tips For Your Garden) that growing ivy or vines on a
wooden fence could quickly cause the wood to rot.

This is confusing- I have pictures in several gardening books showing just
such an arrangement, ivy growing on wooden trellis above or afixed to wooden
fencing, and it looks well-established- yet the fencing does not seem to be
suffering from decay and imminent collapse. I also have two books on ivy-
both mention growing on trellis, one talks about how he larger-leaved ivies
may need to be tied on as they would not be self-clinging- no mention there
of inherent danger to the wood. (I even wondered if once covered in ivy a
wooden fence might be protected from much of the rainfall and UV light and
even last longer because of this.)

This seems to be conflicting information. Reader's Digest gardenig books
always struck me as being pretty good though. Can anyone suggest what the
reality would be? Or whether growing ivy on a wooden fence is a bad idea or
otherwise?
TIA for any help.

Possibly that once the wood is covered with ivy it acan't dry out and so
is more susceptible to rot. Most fences dry out quickly and moisture is
needed for wood to rot

Malcolm

This is probably my ignorance showing - I have never found that
self-clinging plants do well on any treated wood. And believe me, I have
tried! *Twining* plants, yes - clinging plants - well, not for me, anyway.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'