Q&A for How to Kill English Ivy

Return to Full Article

Coming soon

Add New Question

Question

My soil is full of ivy roots. How can I get rid of them?

Andrew Carberry, MPH
Food Systems Expert
Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.

Andrew Carberry, MPH

Food Systems Expert

Expert Answer

Once you have removed the vines, any remaining ivy roots will decompose with time.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 68 Helpful 38
Question

Will hot composting kill ivy?

Community Answer

No. It will grow roots and spread where you use the compost. It is best to bag it and place it in the garbage.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 6 Helpful 33
Question

How do I kill the roots of an Ivy plant?

Community Answer

Apply clear plastic solarization and/or heavy/thick mulching. Keep mulch away from the tree base/trunk section at the ground level because it still needs air flow and light to prevent mold/fungus/rot.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 22
Question

How do I get rid of ivy without causing soil erosion?

Community Answer

After clearing the ivy from an area, build long ridges of mulch along the contour lines of the property. The mulch will capture and sequester water, thus preventing erosion. The mulch will also deter the regeneration of the ivy. When the property has been effectively cleared of ivy, plant native ground covers, shrubs, and trees.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 16
Question

My garden and walls and fences are being covered by ivy with roots in my neighbors' yards on either side of me. Since I am elderly, what is my best course of action?

Community Answer

If at all possible, hire help to spray it or cut and pull it out. You may want to talk to your neighbors to see whether they like the ivy or would like to get in on your quest to destroy it. You can reclaim your fence by simply spraying it with brush killer, but it will also kill theirs unless it is cut.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 23 Helpful 34
Question

Is there a way to grow English ivy inside my home on my walls?

Community Answer

Yes, replace your floor with soil, and cut a hole in the roof for natural sunlight. Plant the ivy and watch it grow.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 41 Helpful 106
Question

What is the best option to get rid of ivy that has been covering a greenhouse for many years and has thick branches?

Community Answer

Cut the branches at ground level and wait for the vines to die. Once they are dead, pull them off the greenhouse.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 24 Helpful 17
Question

How do I permanently kill English ivy on the ground?

Community Answer

The roll technique works, but it's not easy pulling up the roots. After a few rolls, cut the roots to enable more rolling using a hand clipper with about 8 inch blades or longer. If you can't pull up the roots, cut them at the base and let mother nature kill them off in time. I plan to put down topsoil and mulch, and then plant shrubs or small flowering trees, like dogwood, in the area I'm clearing. Take your time doing it, don't rush and you will have good results.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 10 Helpful 16
Question

I have crepe myrtle trees. How do I get rid of the ivy growing on them?

Community Answer

You'll have to remove the ivy by the root. Be sure to wear gloves in case it is poison ivy though.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 7
Question

How long should I wait to plant after application of a glycophosphate?

Community Answer

A few weeks. It doesn't really work into the soil; it attacks the leaves.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 9 Helpful 9
Question

I have some ivy growing on my fence. It's destroying it. What is the most natural way to kill it? Will vinegar or boiling salt water work?

Community Answer

1/2 gallon vinegar, 1 lb of salt and two tablespoons of dish washing liquid mixed together well; spray the solution on the ivy. The vinegar will kill the leaves, the dish washing liquid will help the vinegar stay on the waxy leaves and the salt will kill the roots.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3
Question

What is the best method of disposing of the ivy after I remove it? Should it be bagged and put in the garbage?

Community Answer

The best way to dispose of it is a) collect all the ivy into manageable piles and spread the piles out on my drive in a sunny location so that is is about 8" to 10" in height. Leave it there for about a week. Driving over it with your auto will help the drying decomposition process. After about a week, all the runners will have dried. I usually put my ivy collection in plies and burn them in the fall. If you do not have this option, put the dried runners in plastic garbage bags and ship them out on the next garbage pickup. Another option is to use your power mower to make mulch with the runners but be sure the runners are completely dried so they're brittle and easily breakable.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Question

Can I use an axe to remove roots from around trees as long as I don't get too close to the tree's roots?

Community Answer

Absolutely. If you use an axe to cut through English Ivy roots, just be sure not to cut any plants you want to keep.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0