English Ivy: The Silent Intruder

It looks so pretty, that wall of English ivy growing up the side of your house or garage….

But if you could see what is happening deep inside that mat of vegetation - tendrils boring into the mortar, suckers attaching themselves to your siding, moisture rotting the cells of the wood, insects crawling up the stems and into your house - you might think differently about it.

Much has been written lately about the "natural insulation" ivy can provide for a sun-drenched wall, but the simple truth is this: ivy will cost you more in repairs than it will save you in fuel.

I could use this entire space to recount horror stories told by homeowners who let ivy grow up their house -- my favorite was the one with the ivy that came through his siding and insulation, then poked its head out from behind the window trim inside his living room -- but lets get to the heart of the problem: getting rid of the ivy.

1.) Cut it off at the ground. Using pruning shears, cut each stem off at the ground all the way along your foundation.

2.) Pull off loose runners. Be careful, however, to make sure the tendrils don’t also start pulling out pieces of mortar. If so, stop and wait until the runners have died and the tendrils have dried.

3.) Begin treating the stump with any of a variety of chemicals. People have reported varying degrees of success with commercial products, such as Roundup, Crossbow or 'stump-killers', as well as homemade remedies, such as rock salt. If possible, drill a hole down into the stump and carefully apply the chemicals directly into it.

4.) Getting rid of the dead tendrils is hard. Test any method or tool you select to make sure it is not damaging your wall material. Among those recommended: wire brush, scrub brush and soapy water, metal or plastic scrapers, bleach, wallpaper steamer, clothes iron steamer, power washer. If you can, wait until they have died and dried.

And if you need a visual wall of ivy, build a trellis at least six inches in front of the structure. Even so, check it often and keep the ivy pruned, for it will always be looking for an opportunity to spread.

Good Luck!

- Bruce Johnson