Since my neighbor has rebuilt the fence between our yards the remains of
his ivy - a stump - is in our yard. I've attempted digging it up but the
roots are too extensive and I'm afraid it will shoot again from any
remaining roots. So--if I cut it further back and put a hole in it, would
pouring salt into the hole and watering it kill the ivy?
Barbara - in Berkeley
Not likely. It might work if you were to drill holes in the stump and pour
in the salt, but more likely you would have to use something more poisonous.
A few spoonsful of diesel might be enough, and the amount is small enough
not to have TOO many repercussions.
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I don't know how English Ivy is there, but here in Oregon it is INVASIVE and
you can clip shoots for a couple of years before it will stop growing. And
if you miss the shoots for even a short time, they manufacture food that
keeps the process going longer. Forest Park in Portland is almost
completely overrun with the stuff, like perennial kudzu, in spite of armies
of volunteers pulling and removing it constantly.
-Lon
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Your best bet IS to dig down at least a foot or So pulling out all the roots
you see. Maybe you could saw away at the stump below the ground level, too.
It worked on a small hill in back of a restaurant where the owner wanted
grape vines put in. Course he had one of the busboys do it, I didn't have
to. whew!
Dear Lon and barb
Since the vine is now coming out of dormancy, would not clipping any new
shoots before they set leaves be successful in killing it off? Would not the
remaining roots would soon deplete their reserves and die off?
Kindest regards,
Kevin
"Lon J. Rombough" wrote:
A recommendation when I first started out gzardening was sodium chlorate
also inserted in holes in the stump, but this is an oxidizing agent
which needs to be used with discretion, as in conjunction with organic
matter it can sometimes work so fiercely it breaks into flames. However
I have known many people use it sucessfully. Unlike the diesel its end
product is no harm to the biosphere as it is simply common salt.
However, an even more organic solution I have seen in recent years is to
build a temporary wall round the stump and cover it as deeply as
possible with compost materials, As these "work" they usually bring
about the death of the stump at the same time. And as well you make
yourself a nice bit of compost!
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
Yes, but watch out that you don't kill something on your neighbor's side of the fence! And don't count on having any plants on your side either!
Diluted acetic acid poured on the ground where you suspect roots are, will do the trick. Try about 20% and count on repeating it next spring if not earlier. Vinegar is something temporary in that you can use the soil later, and if the ivy is lucky it also can use it!!!
Carol
Many thanks to all of you who've responded to my cries of help for getting
rid of ivy. It seems that the fence builders actually dug it all out
because they had to, so I lucked out on that one. But there is now part of
a stump from one of those weed plum trees so I think I'll try the acetic
acid and/or Moira's suggestion of piling compost on top of it.
Moira, do you think the stump would be too wide for the compost treatment
to be effective?
Thanks again,
Barbara - in Berkeley
I can tell you what Danes do with stumps, though it is probably not at all organic.
Salt or hydrocloric acid. Bore a hole in the stump (several if a large stump) and pour in salt or acid. Works.
Time: pick off the new shoots all the time and just wait for it to die. More or less my system.
Carol
Is it legal to pour gasoline on it, on a cut surface, maybe?
"Lon J. Rombough" wrote:
I dug out my English ivy that had been growing for better than 15 years last
year. Where the roots were stubborn I took some clippers and cut out what I
could. So far I haven't had problems with it coming back. If I did see a
shoot, I dig it out again. I was afraid I would have a lot of trouble
getting rid of it, but not really - just the work of digging it out. I also
dug out a patch of myrtle last year, and have been plesantly surprised that
only a few stragglers escaped my efforts. You do have to disturb the soil
with plenty of digging though.
Kris
barbara sargent wrote:
> Moira, do you think the stump would be too wide for the compost treatment
> to be effective?
Barbara
As I understand it this treatment works whatever size the stump. One
just has to make sure it is completely surrounded and covered by the
heap of composting materials.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
