At What Level Should I Start Cutting Ivy?

How Ivy Grows

• Most varieties of ivy are self adhering or climbing vines with woody stems. The plants have characteristically lobed or notched leaves, some of which are arrow or heart shaped. The genus is Hedera and encompasses a group of plants with hardy growth characteristics and tolerances. The vines grow from a basal root and each vine can easily root at internodes where they touch soil. Some ivy plants such as English ivy may get 100 feet long and require management in the home landscape.

Ivy on Trees

• Ivy is not parasitic but it can damage and pull away bark when it grows up trees. It is best to remove ivy when it starts to creep up your taller plants. The vine can be extremely tenacious, making removal difficult. Cut the plant at the base of the tree or several feet from the trunk in a circle to make sure the vines on the tree will be severed from the root and die. Use a crow or pry bar to pull off the vines that have adhered to the trunk. It can require a surprising amount of strength to pull off self-climbing vines.

Grouund Cover Ivy

• Ivy intended as ground cover may be cut to the base of the plant. Overgrown mats of ivy usually need to have several layers removed to get to the original vines. This can take patience but doesn't require a lot of finesse. Pulling out the top vines makes it easier to know where to cut. You can also trim back well-maintained plots of ivy with a mower or weed trimmer but this does not work on old plots where the stems are thick and woody.

Ivy Around Plants

• Ivy grows up and over your shrubs and other plants if it is left unmanaged. It is easy to prune it away from your plants, but you have to watch it every year to prevent encroachment. Use a pair of pruners to cut a circle at least 6 inches around the base of each plant. Then pull the ivy inside the circle away from the shrub or bush. This does not hurt the ivy in the rest of the bed, as long as you don't remove the roots of the vine.