Its low maintenance and year-round green aesthetic make ivy a popular choice for gardeners. Unfortunately, the same resilience and ease of care make it extremely hard to get rid of, but not impossible.
Ivy plants may look attractive, but they are invasive plant species that can wreak havoc on your garden and home.
English ivy has thick glossy leaves with five lobes that range from medium to dark green with lighter colour veins running throughout.
It is aggressive and hazardous to neighbouring plants. Invasive ivy doesn’t offer benefits to the ecosystem but instead poses a threat.
The evergreen plant grows year-round, choking out neighbouring plants and providing nesting spots for pests like rats.
Gardeners may consider using white vinegar or bleach to tackle pesky ivy growth in their garden. However, while they may appear to be a potent home remedy, they are not the most effective weed killer for ivy, warned editor-in-chief Chelsey at Good Grow.
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Not only do they not guarantee complete eradication of the plant, but they can cause collateral damage to nearby plants and soil health too.
Instead, Chelsey recommends using a herbicide that contains glyphosate. While not everyone wants to use a strong commercial weed killer when it comes to ivy “the only method that will 100 percent work is a herbicide”.
For this method start by raking over the ivy to break the waxy barrier that can prevent all of the weed killer from being absorbed.
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Spray thoroughly trying to coat the entire ivy plant then wait three to four weeks before re-applying and at least eight weeks before you start cutting the ivy back.
Chelsey noted: “Weed killers which contain glyphosate take time to work but they do work against Ivy and they work well.”
Express.co.uk has found a few herbicides that contain glyphosate. Gardeners can pick up the Gallup Home and Garden Super Strength Weed killer from The Range for £21.49 or the Elixir Gardens Weed Killer from Amazon for £21.99.
Once the ivy is dead, cut it back. Do not cut the ivy back before applying the weed killer as it is absorbed through the leaves - only cut it back once the ivy is dead.
To prevent ivy from becoming a persistent problem in the future, maintain a well-managed garden with regular weeding and pruning to discourage ivy growth.
Also, it can be worth creating physical barriers, such as installing a root barrier or a fence, to prevent ivy from spreading.