enlish ivy vs. grass

[justontime]

justontime, don't say that! LOL. I have ivy I want to kill off without destroying the grass if at all possible that I just noticed the other day. The previous owners have let it grow in such a way that it's now entwined with the exterior phone lines and other cables. While it's not high, only about three feet at its highest point, I'm scared to yank at it in case I take the wiring with it.

Perhaps it depends where you live. I have ivy growing up the outside wall of my utility room, I have pulled it all off, dug out the roots and sprayed the wall for the last four years and it just keeps coming back. It grows all the way up the wall in a few months, but I can only get to it at certain times of the year because I have a climbing rose growing there. If only the things I want in my garden would grow like that!

[mamabear05]

I have had the same experience with ivy; no matter what I do, it always comes back! I have had the best luck pulling it out by the roots than spraying anything on it (spraying seems to do pretty much nothing except maybe kill the current leaves), but it's still not completely gone.

[Chris]

Never let English ivy climb on a wall or other structure. It's roots will destroy masonry. It should only be used as a ground cover.

Boston Ivy is the type you can let climb on a wall.

[tater03]

Man I am so glad that I have not had this problem with Ivy. I never knew that it was so hard to get rid of until I was reading over your posts.

[Rose White]

Never let English ivy climb on a wall or other structure. It's roots will destroy masonry. It should only be used as a ground cover.

Boston Ivy is the type you can let climb on a wall.

When I purchased my home, poison ivy was growing up the 100-year-old stone house. All of the mortar disappeared and after I pulled down the ivy (which was thriving even though it no longer reached the ground), I replaced the mortar.

Rose White, author
"Easy Gardens A to Z"