Coming out of lurkdom for a bit=85.
Trust me, ivy removal is temporary unless you get every last piece=
and root and there isn't any flowering nearby. Years ago when I created a
path around the house, I yanked, pulled, ripped, sawed, chopped, lopped and=
severed roots that at times were 6 inches in diameter. I could have swung
through the trees with this stuff. Sheets of newspapers an inch thick went=
down, a layer of weed block cloth and finally on top of all that was placed=
about 3 inches of redwood bark chips. The ivy that is outside of the path
eventually sends out shoots underneath all the layers and every so often I=
find it emerging 5 feet into the pathway. Btw, the bark is beginning to
break down and the newspaper has pretty much disintegrated but the weed
block cloth lives forever. The cloth makes it messier to get at the
marauding vines because you have to lift the whole width of the cloth
instead of being able to pull up the vine in one long piece.
Mature ivy is ubiquitous around here. It flowers and sets seeds.
It's surprising to see ivy sprouting here and there when you know no vine
could possibly be there, as in a half barrel on a cement patio or in a
hanging pot. Ivy is nasty stuff.
And speaking of hanging pots, Barb was kind enough to post a photo=
of my strawberry pot at:
=
w9.
Yum, yum, yum.
Marcelle
(aka Barfy Dog)
> Maybe. Hedera helix, right? This stuff is invasive and does well in tough
> places for a reason -- it is almost unstoppable. If you mowed it off short,
> grubbed out the roots as best you could, then layered down cardboard, then
> mulch, then maybe. I have never tried it so I am not convinced it would
> work. It would slow it down for a few years, but I am not sure it would=
kill
myself
> of
> an almost limitless supply of pine straw and duff from the forest=
floor
> as
> a mulch. Using newspaper had not occurred to me because I don't take=
a
> newspaper and therefore have none to use.
> Still, I do have the products of the pine and I have begun to haul=
that
> lovely stuff from the woods to my gardens. It does help, it really
> does. Still, then I am planting new rows with tiny seed I find that
> mulching gets in the way and I can't see the new babies as they emerge
> from
> the ground. I therefore wait to mulch until the plants are large=
enough
> not to disappear underneath. Of course, many seed germinate when I
> plant
> flower seed and a lot of those here not planted by me. They are the
> opportunists of the flower bed and hope to prosper right along with=
the
> fancy flowers. I must gently but firmly discourage this and therefore=
I
> weed.
> Your suggestion on weed control is splendid and I am sure that I shall
> find
> it effective when the time comes. Until then I send my thanks for=
your
I know! I've been there in Ivy Hell, also! Just a couple of plants and
it took over one side of the yard, choking my poor clematis.
Lots of pulling and applying Benadryl for the poison ivy that was
growing in with it. After getting a cortisone shot for the new and
improved PI, I applied Roundup for brush, the only thing that really
killed it off, and I applied that carefully one little spritz at a time.
The gosh darned spearmint, though, has survived the Roundup! I'm still
yanking that out. But no sign of the PI or the other ivy. :)
jo
nj...listening to the thunder, watching the rain pour down, we're in for
some goooood thunderstorms, according to the weather man.
Marcelle wrote:
<
