How to Grow Ivy on Stucco

Stucco is a variety of plaster used to cover interior and exterior wall surfaces. You can easily cover a stucco wall with vines for a decorative look. The vines will also provide shade and an extra insulating layer on that side of the building. Vines that stick to structures with self-adhesive pads or rootlets are the best choice because you do not need an additional trellising structure. These vines include Boston ivy, English ivy and Virginia creeper.

Hand spade
Mulch
Garden stakes
Fishing wire
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Pull up any weeds in the planting site. Loosen the soil with a hand spade to a depth of 12 inches in the spring, after last frost.
- 2
  Dig planting holes 4 inches wide and 4 inches deep. Space the holes six to 12 inches apart and 12 inches from the base of the stucco wall.
- 3
  Remove the vine seedlings from the nursery containers. Loosen the root balls with your hands and pull off the lowest two leaves. Lower one plant into each hole. Fill the holes with soil so the soil comes up to the new lowest leaves.
- 4
  Water until the soil settles. Cover the soil around the plants with a 2-inch layer of mulch.
- 5
  Drive garden stakes into the soil 1 inch from the base of the stucco wall. Drive one stake across from each ivy seedling. Tie a piece of fishing wire to the top of each stake, then pull the string up to the seedlings.
- 6
  Guide the ivy to the fishing wire as it grows. It will then climb the wire up to the garden stake, then it will climb up the stucco wall.
- 7
  Prune the ivy once a year during the fall by cutting it away from windows, doors or roof eaves. Use sharp pruning shears.

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