On 07/05/2013 09:10, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 07/05/2013 08:48, Bob Hobden wrote:
"TimLondon" wrote ..


Hi, should I encourage ivy to grow or does it become unmanageable? I've
just bought a house that already has some but it wants to spread across
the side of the house. While I think it's attractive I don't want to
create a beast that'll be a headache in the future! Any thoughts
welcome.

Depends on the variety. If it's normal Ivy it will be difficult to
control
and certainly make a mess of any paintwork it gets hold of. If you
pull it
off it leaves it's roots attached to whatever it's clinging to. My mother
had some up a wall of her house and that was one of the miniature
varieties
usually seen in baskets etc, which is where it came from originally, but
still it was difficult to control and got onto window frames etc
leaving a
mess.
We had the large leaved type along a very old fence for years but it
was a
constant headache keeping it tidyish.
Ivy is easily killed by cutting it off from it's roots below ground
level.

Not so easy if its along 30 metres of fencing, umpteen years old, and
many stems exceed 3cm in diameter. :-(

Heavy grade loppers or boltcutters to cut the stems.

Anyone tried strimming and damaging the leaves before spraying with
nuclear-strength glyphosate?

I suspect you are on a hiding to nothing. SBK Brushwood killer with I
think it is a trace of light oil or paraffin is alleged to work.

I know that holly and ivy seedlings survive normal glyphosate so I would
expect the mature plants to barely notice it at all.

I generally use physical removal...

--
Regards,
Martin Brown