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Old 21-04-2008, 09:44 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Mary Fisher Mary Fisher is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
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Default Advice on Ivy please


"adm" wrote in message
news:2008042109020616807-adm1@fastmailfm...
On 2008-04-21 06:20:41 +0100, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given said:

"adm" wrote in message news:2008042012050416807-

but then thought that Ivy or a similar wall climber might look
a lot nicer.


My advice for Ivy is: Don't! Find something else.

The old adage for Ivy ("first it sleeps, then it creeps, then it leaps")
is
very true as I know from the multiple ivys I've spent (unsuccessfully)
trying to exterminate in my yard.


Thanks for all the advise so far! It seems to be about 4 to 2 in favour of
"DON'T DO IT".....with constant pruning being the downside.....however, if
i do plant it, it will be a location that's easy to prune - I can just run
the hedge trimmer along the top and sides of the wall every month or so.

As for ever wanting to remove it, I remember the mess the roots make on
walls from my old days as a roofer. However, this is gong to be a cover
plant for an ugly but neccesary boundary wall and is not likley to ever
need to be removed - and if it is, it would be replaced with something
else unless bare concrete suddenly becomes the height of fashion!

Does anyone know of a better wall covering plant that will grow up a
concrete wall unsupported? I suppose if neccesary, I could string wires
along the face of the wall for support, but would rather not as they will
need to be replaced every few years.

I've had a scout around on 'tinternet and www.fibrex.co.uk seem to have
several hundred varieties of Ivy - including Goldheart as well as lots of
other nicely coloured ones. I also read that when planting Ivy, you
should put a handful of lime in the hole as it likes alkaline conditions.
Does this make sense?


No idea, I've grown it in all sorts of places.

But the bases of most walls are likely to be alkaline if only forom leaching
of snots, concrete walls willl obviously leach more alkali than that which
just comes from mortar.

Before you decide against ivies do look around at what's available, there
really are several which aren't quick growing and need very little or even
no maintenance. The advantage over most other climbers is that they are
evergreen so clad the wall even during winter. Other climbers, no matter how
pretty in flower or coloured leaf, have their own drawbacks.

Also, ivies afford shelter to wildlife so will encourage birds into your
garden.

Mary