Gardening question: how to get rid of ivy??

[teeemkay]

I figure I'll throw this out for discussion, since many folks here appear to be plant experts... Does anyone have a good way to kill off ivy that grows on the sides of houses? (other than going outside every 2 weeks and pulling it off by hand again and again and again during the growing season). I don't want to use any super-powerful chemicals over a large area as we have big hostas and shrubs that I don't want to damage along that side of the house as well.

Suggestions?

 

[brokensword]

12 gauge?




Then again, you can spot some roundup in key places and it should kill it down to the roots. But the shotgun might be more fun...

 

[Lisak1]

You CAN remove it manually, but expect to have to keep at it for a few years. You can also carefully apply Roundup (ugh - can't believe I'm saying that!) to the roots after removing as much as you can by hand. It can be eradicated, it just takes persistence and patience.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Curious as to why you want to get rid of it?

We were thinking of planting some on one side of our house where basically nothing grows well (I think due to lack of sun)

 

[pecan]

We got rid of ivy we had growing up the north side of our brick home a few years ago. I loved it at first because it looks pretty. But it was a constant battle to keep it from growing up into the eves of the house and causing damage to our home. After about 5 Years, I got sick of the work and decided to just pull it out. It was growing in an raised bed next to the house about 3' x 6'.

I cut it all down to just the stems sticking up out of the ground. Then I dug what I could out all the way to the roots. Then the deep hard to remove stems got a fresh cut with trimmers a few inches below soil level and a immediate does of weed killer on the fresh cut.

I had to make sure I got each and every piece that remained in the soil, which I did and it has yet to grow back at all in 3 years.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

That's good to know about damaging the house. I actually hadn't thought about that....

I really have no desire to have to keep pulling it off the house.

 

[pecan]

That's good to know about damaging the house. I actually hadn't thought about that....

I really have no desire to have to keep pulling it off the house.

Yep, the little runners will find any little gap to grow into. Whether its around your windows, shutters or up under the eves. Once it gets in it grows and causes little gaps to become bigger gaps.

 

[mgmine]

Pull up the main plants and that will stop it.

 

[teeemkay]

Curious as to why you want to get rid of it?

Same reasons others have mentioned--it literally digs into the basement windows (they are *very* old and need to be replaced, but we're not quite there yet) and starts working its way into the eaves, gutters, and the wooden porch we have on that side of the house. It also starts covering up the hose spigots, electrical outlets, and a temperature sensor we have on the wall, too.

I think we have some Round-Up in the shed. I might try it on the ivy near the corner of the house that's farthest away from other plants and see if that starts killing it off.

 

[teeemkay]

12 gauge?

Then again, you can spot some roundup in key places and it should kill it down to the roots. But the shotgun might be more fun...

Hubs was thinking "flame thrower" besides 12 gauge. I told him to calm down.

 

[Lisak1]

I've actually seen a YouTube video of a guy "weeding" with a torch - I bet that would work!

 

[teeemkay]

I'm sure it would. There are also videos of guys using torches, flamethrowers, etc. to melt snow off driveways in the winter. Hubs already tried that with a propane heater and a propane torch--wasn't very successful. Let's not give the guys any more ideas.