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Tips and tricks for growing ivy indoors
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Houseplants are the perfect accent to everyone's home. English Ivy (cultivars of Hedera helix ) improves air quality and also has many health benefits such as anti-inflammatory qualities. These step-by-step instructions on how to grow English ivy in a pot include how to plant ivy in a pot, and basic care once the ivy is successfully planted.
Steps
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Choose the right size pot. Make sure the new pot is 2 to 4 inches larger in diameter than the current pot or container it is in.- Make sure there is a hole at the bottom of the pot for water drainage.
- If the pot is larger than 4 inches than the current one, it may take some time for the leaves to grow new sprouts because the roots will grow to fill the pot first.
- If this pot has been used before, make sure to wash it out with warm water and a mild soap before transferring your English ivy into it.
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Fill the pot about 1/3 of the way with houseplant potting soil.- Houseplant soil mix can be purchased at most garden centers.
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Purchase a colorful cultivar of English ivy for your home. Remove the ivy from its current pot. To do this, turn the pot that the ivy is currently in upside down and squeeze the size and/or tap on the bottom until the potting soil comes loose and you can remove the plant from the pot.- This mass of soil and roots now removed from the pot is referred to as the "rootball".
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Loosen the rootball. Use your fingers to loosen the rootball by squeezing and shaking the clumps of potting soil out from in between the roots.- After removing some potting soil, if the roots are still stuck together you should untangle by gently pulling them apart.
- In order to avoid a large mess, do this step over the pot or an old newspaper.
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Insert the rootball into the center of the pot. Check and make sure that the ball of roots is about ½ inch from the edge of the pot.- Look from the top down over the pot to make sure that the ivy is centered in the pot.
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Fill the rest of the pot with potting soil. Make sure to leave about ½ inch from the top of the soil to the top of the pot. This way, there will be room for water to absorb into the potting soil.- If your plant is top heavy, you might want to "stuff" or "pack" the potting soil meaning filling the pot and then packing it down to be able to then fit more soil.
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Water your newly planted English ivy. Place the pot in a drainage tray and water thoroughly. Water less frequently for the first 3-4 weeks so the plant can produce new roots in the somewhat drier and oxygen filled potting soil. It is easy to overwater a plant after transplanting.- Thorough watering means water until it starts to drain out of the bottom of the pot.
- Plastic drainage trays and saucers can be found at most garden centers or anywhere you can purchase potting soil.
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Place the pot in a partly sunny spot in your home. Ivy, like all plants, needs bright light indoors and cannot withstand full sunlight for a whole day. English Ivy should have full sunlight for 3-6 hours a day or bright light near a window all day.- Although English ivy is pretty tough, make sure not let the soil dry out too much, if your ivy is placed in a full sun area for part of the day.
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Water your ivy as needed. This should be about every 2-7 days depending on the size of the pot. Lift the plant after watering so you know how heavy it is when wet. Lift the pot occasionally during the week and water again when it is much lighter in weight, or when the soil is dry to the touch.- If you water your ivy too often and before the soil dries out, your plant can be susceptible to root rot disease.
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Fertilize your English ivy every 2-4 weeks. Many types of indoor plant food can be used to feed ivy plants. Make sure to read the directions for the individual plant food.- Make sure to not overfeed your ivy. Overfeeding can also result in root rot but can also start to make the leaves mold.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat if my ivy grows berries?Greenhouse AndersonTop AnswererOld English ivy plants become an adult shrub after many years as a vining juvenile. The adult shrub will produce bunches of flowers and eventually berry-like fruit. English ivy has become an invasive species in many cities and forests.
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QuestionCan you leave ivy in planters outside during the winter months?Greenhouse AndersonTop AnswererIt depends on how cold the winter months are and if the planters are well insulated. Root systems of woody plants often freeze before the leaves and branches. Ivy plants may be hardy in containers in zone 7 most years.
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QuestionI have just repotted my ivy, and the leaves are now dry and brittle. Why?Greenhouse AndersonTop AnswererIt's possible that your repotted ivy was overwatered and the root system was damaged. It's easy to overwater a newly transplanted plant. Keep the plant on the dry side until you see new growth.
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Tips
- If you pack the soil but your plant is still wobbly, the rootball may not be far enough down inside the dirt.Thanks
- Your ivy may start to wilt slightly after repotting. This is normal as it is getting used to its new pot.Thanks
- Make certain you have a good location for your ivy with proper sunlight.Thanks
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