Questions & Answers

WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY IVY?

Is it dead?

QUESTION
I am in zone 6 in central Indiana and have English Ivy in some places in my back yard as a ground cover. The stems running over the ground are brown and dead-looking with no leaves on them whatsoever. It is the middle of April. Is this normal? Should the ivy start to grow again in the spring, or have I killed it?

ANSWER
Your ivy is probably fine. Give it a few weeks and you will probably see lots of nice new growth. Even though it is the middle of April the weather has been unusual this year. Once the ivy starts to grow you will be amazed at how much new growth you will get. If you want to cut one or two of the ivy stems to see if they are green and healthy that will help you to determine the condition of your ivy.

Soft Ivy Leaf

QUESTION
I bought a pot of ivy. The leaves are glossy and has a leathery feel. Its' leaves were hard when I bought it. However, the leaves are turning soft as the days pass by. I do not know the name (of the ivy) and would like to know what is wrong with it. I live in Singapore. The weather is very hot and humid. Temperature during the day is about 34 degree Celsius.

ANSWER
Unfortunately, we are unable to diagnose your problem without seeing the plant but one grower in Florida did suggest, "in Florida during the middle of the summer we have trouble with various soil borne fungus problems that cause the leaves to turn soft and eventually brown and by the time you see the above ground symptoms, as you know, it is too late as the root system is destroyed."

Ivies like lots of light and are happiest living outdoors in bright light, they like good air circulation's, they tolerate high humidity but can get decease problems if the humidity stay high for a long time and the temperature is hot. They do like cool nights.

What's wrong with my ivy? Will it live?

QUESTION
I just recently bought a flat of English ivy with some variegated. Until I could do something further with the ivy I placed it under my patio (which faces the west).I live in southern Arkansas, near Texas where the weather is extremely hot and HUMID. I kept the plants together in the same flat and watered them all at once. When I was out of town several times this summer, I found that they were drying out - so I REALLY watered them! They have been
on the patio for probably 2 months now. Now it looks as though I have a case of root rot on several of them. Is there anything I can do to bring them back? Or shall I just dispose of them
and mark this as a lesson well learned?

ANSWER
Cut the ivies back and try to dry them off a little. It sounds as though they may have suffered from drying out which damages the roots and then you over-watered. Once the roots are damaged over-watering only causes more stress. But ivies are hardy and you may be surprised. Cut them back, water only when the soil surface feels dry to the touch. Keep them in filtered light -- not deep shade and not full sun. Make sure they have good air circulation.

After you have tried all this -- if they do not make it you can always buy more but you will have learned a great deal about the ivy. Another bit of advice --try to buy either flats/pots of green ivy or variegated but not mixed. Often the variegated may require slightly less or
more light, water and fertilizer.

Yellowing Leaves

QUESTION
I have had my Ivy plant for about 3 years and it has always grown very well, although I have yet to change it out of the pot(!!). Just recently yellow leaves have started growing on it, as if I'm overwatering it. However, I'm not watering it any less or more than I always have. It seems that every other day I'm plucking off more yellow leaves. I keep my plant near my living room window and it has just started getting cold outside.

Could that have anything to do with it? I wouldn't think so because I've had it near the window before and this hasn't happened. But I'm not sure at all.

Help! I don't want my poor plant to die on me.

Yellow leaves in Houston, TX

ANSWER
Although it is very hard to diagnose your ivy trouble without examining the plant and its location here's an educated opinion. Perhaps it is time to repot the ivy. Since you have indicated that your routine and the ivy's location has not changed over the last 3 years, It may be root bound and requiring more water than in prior years. Or, there is a root problem. In either case, take the ivy out of the old pot and examine the roots.

If it is just root bound you will be able to tell immediately as you will see a mass of whitish roots consuming the root ball. Scratch away some of the roots or remove about an inch of roots off the bottom and replant in a larger pot (one size larger than the one it is in now). Be sure to add some fresh soil and tamp the newly planted root ball to make sure it is snug in the pot. Water and let the water drain through the pot. Repeat and water regularly when the soil is dry to the touch on the surface. You may want to spritz over the plant each day with water for about a week or two until it has adjusted to the new pot.

When you replant and remove part of the root area it is usually a good idea to reduce some of the foliage on the plant by cutting it back a little. A good rule to follow is to remove as much foliage proportionately as you removed from the root ball. If you remove 10% of the root, remove 10% of the foliage.

When you remove the plant from the pot and find that the roots are black and rotting off or brown and dried it is time to do a major overhaul. Take the plant out of the pot and remove as much of the diseased or damaged root as possible. Wash away as much of the old soil as possible. It would also be a good idea to wash the remaining roots and root ball in soapy water. You can use ordinary dish detergent mixed in water. Mix the detergent as if you were washing dishes using cool water and swish the roots around in the mixture making sure they are saturated. Use a few teaspoons of chlorinated bleach in the soapy water to help destroy the disease problems. Only use a little (maybe 1-30) in the soapy water.

Always use fresh soilless potting mix to replant and a new or clean pot. Do not reuse the old soil or garden soil as it may just re-infect the roots. Ivies are tough-you can remove nearly all the roots, repot and it will survive. If you do remove that much of the root remember it will be
difficult for the ivy to take up enough water for the first couple of weeks. Keep it in a humid location or spray over it with cool water a few times per day until it begins to adjust.

Drowned Ivy Plants

QUESTION

We work at a flower shop and have a question about an ivy. We had a customer drop off a drowned ivy plant. We dried it out and it started to re-grow small green leaves. Recently they have turned brown and frail. What should we do?

ANSWER

It is hard to pinpoint exactly what is happening with your customer’s ivy but we can give you information that might help you. We have often seen ivies that have been either dried out too much or over-watered and the result is root damage. Ivies are tough and often you can help them back to health.

It sounds like root damage is your problem. It might be necessary to drench with a fungicide, repot and give the ivy new soil. This will help to eliminate any fungal problems left in the soil. When repotting, remove as much of the soil as possible, clean off rooting and damaged roots and repot in sterilized soilless potting mix.

This newly repotted ivy should be located in a shady place with good air circulation and you will need to water carefully making sure to allow the soil to dry between watering without become too dry. Also, since the ivy has lost much of the roots it would be helpful to spray over the foliage with clear water occasionally until the plant starts to send out new roots.