English ivy, although native to the UK, can become a real headache for gardeners under certain conditions. With the ability to invade aggressively, it thrives best in areas with mild temperatures and consistent moisture.
One of the main reasons English ivy is so invasive is due to its shade tolerance, enabling it to flourish even in low-light areas and outcompete other flora. Spurred on by fair conditions and nutrient-rich soils it easily finds ways to promote its rapid spread.
It can also battle with other garden plants for vital resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients, often leading to the weakening or demise of other desirable plants. When it climbs up trees, the extra weight and density can cause branches to weaken, increasing their vulnerability to diseases and structural damage.
English ivy also uses aerial roots to anchor itself, and these can penetrate cracks or joints in buildings, potentially causing structural harm to homes, reports the Express. In a bid to eliminate the pesky ivy problem from his garden, Steve Cockrill sought advice on the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook group.
He said: “What’s a good way to get rid of unwanted ivy?” The overwhelming response was to chop the ivy down and apply a common household product – bleach.
AJ Sargent said: “Cut it off at the base, cut slits in the base, pour neat bleach over the stump, then cover it with a bag and tape it up to protect wildlife from the bleach. The plant will take the bleach down to its roots and kill it completely.”
Jennifer Clark said: “Chop it at the base and remove as much as you can, then add bleach over it.” Elaine White said: “I have killed very old invasive ivy that has crawled up next doors house and literally thought would be impossible to get rid of. A large bottle of bleach killed the lot within days. It works.”
Ethel Heslin added: “The only way to kill the ivy for good is to cut it as close to the ground and pour bleach on the roots. It will burn it and the ivy will die.
“Don’t pull off the large branches of a wall, cut off at different parts and it will fade and die off in a few days.”
For those looking to tackle their ivy problems, bleach is readily available at local supermarkets. Ocado offers a bottle of bleach for 69p and it retails at both Sainsbury’s and Asda for 70p.
A word of caution when using bleach on ivy though, be sure that it doesn’t come into contact with other plants, as it will kill them instantly.