Ivy is very popular with many gardeners because it makes a wonderful ground cover for shady corners. It can also be used to green facades and create privacy hedges. For other gardeners, ivy is a real weed that is difficult to remove from the garden.
Cutting down ivy is tedious but the only way to get rid of it permanently
Be careful when choosing a location
Think carefully about having ivy in your garden. The climbing plant is very robust and stubborn and can only be destroyed with great effort.
If you plant ivy, you will need to periodically prune it back and pull offshoots from the ground. Otherwise there is a risk that it will overgrow the garden like weeds within a short time.
Plant ivy at a distance from house walls, as the clinging roots can cause damage to the facade. Since ivy also climbs trees, they can be suffocated by the plant.
Destroy ivy permanently
If you want to remove ivy as a ground cover or climbing plant, cut off the shoots at the edge and work your way through the entire area.
Use a digging fork to get even the smallest root remains out of the ground, as new offshoots will form from the roots.
Digging up ivy is the only effective way to permanently remove it. Then keep checking back to see if new plants have developed. You must rip these out immediately.
How to properly dispose of ivy
Getting rid of large amounts of ivy is not easy. You should not throw the climbing plant on the compost, especially not if it is the old form that bears fruit.
Give the remains of ivy to the municipality's green waste disposal. Green waste collection points are provided in some cities.
If you want to dispose of small amounts of ivy, let the trimmings dry well before throwing them in the compost. Just remember that ivy is poisonous and can be a real hazard to children and pets.
tips
Glyphosate Roundup is often recommended for removing ivy from the garden. Unfortunately, it is underestimated how toxic the weed killer is for soil and groundwater. Also, Roundup does not permanently destroy ivy.