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hank

By Hank

Cheshire, United Kingdom Gb

Many years ago I was given a tall metal gate, so I built an arch down the side of the bungalow and installed it. Then ivy grew all over it which looked attractive, but eventually when I got round to pruning it I found it very hard work as it had penetrated many of the joints .
It took me 2 days to get it all off and I ended up with almost 2 cwts to take away. Many months later I had to use a scaper with a razor blade to get all the bits off and having done so the first coat of paint didn't cover it all.
The moral to this story is - be very careful where you allow ivy to grow ! Sorry, no question, just a warning.



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Answers

 

Thanks for the warning. I'm not sure how I feel about the Ivy. I like the clean tidy appearance of pic 2.

17 Mar, 2016

 

I do like the look of Pic 1 but am with you about the subsequent mess if you remove it.We have a similar gate and arch to our back garden and ivy does try to get a hold, but I keep it ripped off when it gets too high.

17 Mar, 2016

 

Yes, we had ivy growing up the front of our bungalow and took it all back to the ground. By the time we left the house, a couple of years later, it had covered the front door and was creeping over all the windows and under the roof tiles. In your garden I'd put a clematis in its place, but you would need to put a trellis up. I just think a bit of colour would look great and it would be easier to control.

17 Mar, 2016

 

Thanks for the replies, i like the idea of a clematis. But know nothing at all about these. Which one ? And there is a big, immovable, dead Ivy root at the base. Would this be a problem ?

18 Mar, 2016

 

Don't trust that ivy root. Ours grew again and was back to square one after a couple of years.

18 Mar, 2016

 

I cut the ivy plant off at the base a year ago, bored some holes deep into the top and filled them with some white powder. If anvone knows what it was I'd refill it.

18 Mar, 2016

 

Hank, try dabbing the ivy roots with a systemic herbicide like round up. Just be careful to ONLY dab the roots and not the ground so as the ground isn't contaminated, just the ivy.

18 Mar, 2016

 

Thanks B, will get some and apply very carefully as I'm hoping to put a clematis in it's place.

18 Mar, 2016

 

You shouldn't have a problem growing clematis- it's a good choice.

18 Mar, 2016

 

STOP PRESS. I managed to dig up the rest of the ivy plant, you should have seen the size of the base. It's now ready for the clematis. Decision time again though - I know I want small flowers, but red or purple ?

19 Mar, 2016

 

I've been looking at getting some more clematis as I had to leave four behind when we moved. I've seen one beauty named Princess Diana, and it's a lovely pink/red and although it's expensive I'm tempted.

21 Mar, 2016

How do I say thanks?

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