Questions & Answers

PRUNING AND GENERAL CARE

Is mowing ivy a good idea?

QUESTION
We have a large amount of ivy in our extensive yard and really like it. A friend told us that if ivy is mowed, it grows back even more beautiful than it was before. We would like the opportunity to mow the ivy to clean out the large amount of leaf clutter trapped beneath it which seems to be a breeding haven for mosquitoes.

Is mowing ivy a good idea? If so, what time of year is this best done?

ANSWER
Members of the American Ivy Society have had success with mowing large areas of ivy ground cover. You will need to set you mower blades as high as possible before starting the job. I would recommend doing this in early spring. Ivies tend to have a short period after winter when they look a little tired and that would be the best time. Be sure to mow them back
before the new season growth starts.

This works especially well with the more mat like varieties of English Ivy. If your ivy area is fairly old and the ivy is really deep, I would recommend trying a small patch in a less obvious spot to make sure it is not going to be too extreme for your landscape. It will take only a short time (3 weeks) to see lots of bright green new growth on the mowed ivy if you time it in
early spring. However, if your ivy is really old and thick and deep, it could take much longer for the bed to re-cover and look great.

Once you have cut the ivy back, make sure to water regularly and give it some fertilizer to encourage new growth.

You mentioned that the ivy bed was breeding mosquitoes - actually the mosquito breeds in standing water. Make sure you do not have any water puddles or other sources of standing water. The mosquitoes may be hiding in the ivy but they are not breeding in the ivy.

Cut or Not to Cut

QUESTION
I have been working with Ivy that has been hanging down a retaining wall, I have cut it all the way back to the top of the wall, because there many dead stems, and other vines growing in Ivy. Basically it was a mess.

On top of the retaining wall there is a patch of land where the Ivy is coming from, I have just cleared this area of small trees, vines etc...but there is a lot of dead leaves caught up in the Ivy.

First question: Did I do the wrong thing in cutting it back?

Second question: Should I clear out the leaves and debris that's covering the Ivy, and would this help it to grow and be healthier?


ANSWER
You did the right thing cutting the ivy back. I would have recommended to cut it back in early spring so your timing was perfect (early April). Probably with in a few weeks you will see lots of new growth.

As for the leaves in the ivy -- the leaves should not hurt the ivy unless they are very deep and prevent the ivy from getting light. We have often suggested mulching newly planted ivy with leaves to protect them for the winter. When the new ivy vines begin to grow, if you see spotoir damage on the new leaves of the ivy you may want to remove debris that might be harboring
insects, diseases or retaining too much moisture.

Depending on your climate, you should be seeing some new growth very soon. Cutting the ivy back will actually encourage the plant to grow back even thicker with lots of nice new growth.

Propagating from Cuttings

QUESTION
How does one root ivy for planting in indoor containers?

ANSWER
It is easy to make cuttings from ivy. I would suggest making stem cuttings of young new green growth as they root much faster than order woody stems. Make the cuttings 3-6" long and to include 3 to 4 "nodes" (area on stem where the leaves are attached). Remove the leaves from the bottom two nodes. These cuttings should be stuck into a pot or tray of clean (new) soilless potting mix. Some people do use rooting hormones available in your local nursery. They help to prevent disease while rooting but not necessary if the cuttings are from young stems.

Make sure the soil is moist before sticking and water the cuttings in once they are stuck. You can cover the pot or tray with a clear plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect and keep the humidity high until the cuttings have rooted. The cuttings should be place in a warm shady location. Depending on the age of the stems and how warm you keep the cuttings, the
ivies should root in 3-6 weeks.

Once the cuttings are stuck and covered with plastic, make sure the moisture does not build up too much inside. ( I some times use the clear plastic deli containers as small propagation greenhouse and they work great) If there is condensation on the bag and you can not see the ivies, open it up a little to allow air in and circulate. You want the humidity high but not to 100% or the cuttings may start to rot. After about two weeks, tug gently on the little cuttings and if they feel as though they have started to root -- open the bag and leave it open. After about 3 weeks and the cuttings have rooted for sure -- remove the bag and water the soil when the surface begins to dry. Never allow the cuttings to sit in water.

Generally, after about 4-6 weeks you can remove the cuttings and plantthem into individual pots.

Planting a New Bed

QUESTION
We live in San Antonio, TX which means plenty warm. I have a 225 sq. ft. site that I want to plant with ground cover to hold the new topsoil we got from a nursery. We have a lot of English ivy in our yard which was planted 33 years previously by the original owners. My question is twofold: 1) How close to plant the new bed? 2) Would it be wise to use new plants, or can we transplant from existing beds?

ANSWER
When planting a new bed of ivy it really depends on several factors to decide how far to space the new plants. Consider the size of the plants­newly rooted cuttings should be spaced pretty close to achieve good coverage within a few years. Plants in one gallon nursery pots or 6" greenhouse pots can be spaced further apart. Generally, if the potted plants have runners 10-12" you could plant on centers of 2-4'. The last consideration is-how fast do you want coverage. You can adjust accordingly. Digging up and replanting some of the original ivies will insure that you end up with exactly the same ivy that you already have in your garden. You can also take cuttings and after they are well established, they can be transplanted into the new area.
See: http://www.ivy.org/clon.html

If you decide to buy new plants, you may want to take samples of the ivy you already have and try to match it at the nursery. There are more than 500 different cultivars of English Ivy and it could be that the cultivar that was planted 33 years ago is no longer available in the trade. Since you live in San Antonio, I would suggest that you plant the new ivy in the fall after it cools a little or in very early spring. No matter when you plant, the new ivies will need some protection during the coldest period for the first couple of winters and even some protection from the harsh sun during at least the first summer and maybe two. There are some great landscape cloths to protect new plants during the first winter and perhaps just some mulch the second winter. I would recommend using light shading for the first summer if you see that your new ivy leaves are starting to burn. Ivy is pretty tough and they will acclimate rapidly. It is vitally important that you keep new ivy plantings watered year around at least during the first two years. If you plant in the fall, remember to water during the winter when the soil is dry at the depth of the root ball and it is very important to water regularly during the growing season. Once the roots are established they become nearly carefree. Remember: AIS says­The first year ivy sleeps, the second year ivy creeps and the third year it leaps.

Pulling away the brown leaves and branches?

QUESTION
I purchased a home in Brookline, MA last summer that has a beautiful bed of English Ivy in the backyard that scales a cement wall and extends down over the lawn. My handyman (who has been caring for the yard and house for 21 years) insists that this Ivy is typically green all year round. Presently the branches and leaves are light brown throughout. He is concerned that the Ivy is dead. However, I scratched away at a few branches, and they are a healthy green beneath. I am wondering what your thoughts are? Should I pull away the brown leaves and branches? Is it dead? That would be tragic.
Worried in Brookline

ANSWER
Although ivy is an evergreen and hardy in your area some winters can be very harsh. Sometimes the cold winter winds desiccate the foliage and burn the tender growth from the previous summer. If the stems are green when you scratch the bark or stem, the plants will
probably start sending out new growth as soon as the weather warms up and stays consistently warm for a few weeks.

Perhaps your gardener can brush away most of the brown foliage and leave the vines. You will probably be surprise at how fast the ivy will rejuvenate itself but at first it may seem like forever before you see the first new growth.

The right pH

QUESTION

I enjoy your web site. I would like to know what the pH should be for ivy to grow in, also what kind of fertilizer and how often should it be applied. I live in Middle Tennessee.

ANSWER

Over the years we have learned that ivy can be quite happy in almost any pH. On the East Coast ivy likes acid soil with a pH of 5.5 to about 6.5. On the West Coast the soil is alkaline and the ivy is also happy.

Growers in England recommend a much higher pH - up to 8. Ivy is really not fussy about the pH level and when planted in the ground, requires very little fertilizer. If ivy is planted in the ground, fertilize in the early spring with one that is high in nitrogen such as is recommended for shrubs or foliage plants, not a fertilizer for flowering plants. Something like 10-5-5 or 15-10-10 would be fine. If the ivy is in full sun, or starting to yellow, you could apply more fertilizer during early summer. Do not fertilize in late fall just before the weather starts to turn cold. Generally, an application of fertilizer could stimulate fresh new growth that might not be “hardened” enough to survive a hard freeze.

Potted ivy can be fertilized monthly with any good liquid fertilizer recommended for foliage plants. Do not fertilize ivy in the coldest or hottest months of the year, as these are times when ivy is not actively growing and requires less nutrients.