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.

"TimLondon" wrote in message ...


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.




--
TimLondon

.................................................

Is it Ivy?

Mike

"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.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

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. :-(

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

--

Jeff

On 06/05/2013 21:38, 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.

Tendency to become bigger invasive and unruly. If the mortar is even
slightly iffy it will damage it and any paintwork it grips onto.

Hydrangea petiolaris is a more benign climber with much nicer flowers.
I do allow ivy to grow in my garden for wildlife but not on the house.

the variagated forms are somewhat less vigorous which may help you.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

TimLondon wrote:


Hi, should I encourage ivy to grow

No!

or does it become unmanageable?

Yes!

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.

I had a first floor flat that had a bit of garden out the front and
that had a nice little piece of Ivy in it when I moved in. I suppose
part of it was my fault for letting it get out of control, but when I
finally decided to get rid of it, as it entwined itself around the
gutter and telephone wires, etc., it really was the Devil's Own job to
remove it.

It's probably OK if you keep it pruned to a manageable size, but for
me, never, ever again.

--
Chris

On 2013-05-06 21:38:47 +0100, TimLondon said:

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.

We have two types growing up part of our house and they definitely have
to be kept under control. Our bathroom window was almost covered on one
sideby the time someone found time to clear it! That said, if you're
prepared to go up a ladder a couple of times a year, it shouldn't be
too much of a problem for you. Just keep clear the bits that are
important like roof tiles, gutters and windows! We find that lots of
birds nest in it and eat the berries. The bees love the nectar from the
flowers, so it's a welcome plant for those reasons alone.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 07/05/2013 09:59, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-05-06 21:38:47 +0100, TimLondon said:

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.

We have two types growing up part of our house and they definitely have
to be kept under control. Our bathroom window was almost covered on one
sideby the time someone found time to clear it! That said, if you're
prepared to go up a ladder a couple of times a year, it shouldn't be too
much of a problem for you. Just keep clear the bits that are important
like roof tiles, gutters and windows! We find that lots of birds nest
in it and eat the berries. The bees love the nectar from the flowers, so
it's a welcome plant for those reasons alone.
I have 2 types growing into my hedges. The normal "wild" variety and a
very large leaf cultivated one. The cultivated one originates from next
door who makes no attempt to control it. She spends all her time getting
rid of leaves, as there is a beech hedge between us that is an ongoing
task. I've actually watched her waiting for the leaves to fall and
picking them up individually. Any way back to the ivy, It a PITA, I
would not countenance growing it the pernicious weed that it is.

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

On 06/05/2013 21:38, 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.

Tendency to become bigger invasive and unruly. If the mortar is even
slightly iffy it will damage it and any paintwork it grips onto.

Hydrangea petiolaris is a more benign climber with much nicer flowers.
I do allow ivy to grow in my garden for wildlife but not on the house.

the variagated forms are somewhat less vigorous which may help you.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tue, 07 May 2013 09:10:33 +0100, 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. :-(

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

I had a large-leaved ivy on a fence which got too vigorous. Last
Spring I cut all the stems, thick ones, off at ground level, with a
saw in some cases. Now I have the job of getting the stems off the
trellis it had wound round! No sign of new growth from the base so
far.

Pam in Bristol

On 07/05/2013 11:05, Martin Brown wrote:
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...

Or drill down into the thick stems and inject with neat glyphosate or
neat SBK.

On Tue, 07 May 2013 11:08:03 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

On 06/05/2013 21:38, TimLondon wrote:
Hi, should I encourage ivy to grow or does it become unmanageable? I've

Tendency to become bigger invasive and unruly. If the mortar is even
slightly iffy it will damage it and any paintwork it grips onto.


I love the look of ivy, but after 20+ years of fighting with it I would
never, ever plant it. In our old stone house it even manages to grow
into a corner (yes, inside) closet, from where it must be ripped out now
and again.

It wrecks even relatively new mortar. And aphids love it, so there are
always lots of ants around.

Luckily my son is old enough to take on the worst of it (at height) now.
I know someone said cutting at ground level will kill it, but this has
never worked for us.

There's of course tons of it growing wild everywhere, so I do let it
scramble up a fence post here and there.

Hydrangea petiolaris is a more benign climber with much nicer flowers.
I do allow ivy to grow in my garden for wildlife but not on the house.

Can you grow H. p. in sun, though?



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 07/05/2013 16:46, Emery Davis wrote:
On Tue, 07 May 2013 11:08:03 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:


Hydrangea petiolaris is a more benign climber with much nicer flowers.
I do allow ivy to grow in my garden for wildlife but not on the house.

Can you grow H. p. in sun, though?

On paper probably not, but I have some on my south west and north east
facing walls. It grows a *lot* more slowly on the south side but
provided it doesn't dry out completely seems happy enough. The roots are
in fairly deep shade although the plant itself is not.

Normally I'd say it was perfect on a northerly aspect and has lovely
large compound flowers in early June. If it didn't already look so nice
I would have probably planted a fig or peach on the southern wall.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tue, 07 May 2013 17:00:41 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

On paper probably not, but I have some on my south west and north east
facing walls. It grows a *lot* more slowly on the south side but
provided it doesn't dry out completely seems happy enough. The roots are
in fairly deep shade although the plant itself is not.

Interesting, thanks for that. We have a nice one on the north side, I'd
never considered putting any on the south.



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy