# English ivy climbing my trees...advice?



## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

My wife and I just bought a new place. There are many magnificent trees on the property. Ginkos, maples, oaks, sycamore, ash, pines, etc. Some of the trees are 50 - 75 feet tall. About half of them are being set upon by English ivy. The ivy is close to the canopy of some of them, and I know if I don't remove it, the trees will be doomed. Any suggestions for how to rid the stuff? I'd like to avoid herbicides if possible. Tree service is expensive and I'm not real comfortable climbing up that high. Some of the vines are as big around as my wrist. Can I just cut the vines at the base of the tree and will that cause the vines to die and wither? Pulling it off would (I'm certain) be more preferred, but I'm not sure that will be possible given the size and scope of the problem.


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

Yes, you can cut them near the base of the tree and the vine will die - It will however sucker out and grow from the base where you cut it. You'll have to keep the suckers killed off for a couple of years.


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## rockhound (Sep 25, 2009)

Right. You just cut the vines and if they're huge remove a short section so they won't re-graft. Careful not to damage the bark of the tree where you cut the vines. In a year or 2 they will rot enough to just pull them out of the trees fairly easily.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

You'll need to clear the ground of the ivy roots at the base of the tree too. Once the vines are cut (it'll look pretty trashy for a year or two until the leaves come off), the roots will weaken so keep at it by pulling it up when the ground is soft. Let no leaf survive, youll probably have lots of seedlings too. It's the choaking at the base that generally kills the tree, but a mature ivy will have strong rootlets along the vine that destroy the bark too.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Cut off a section of the ivy trunk that is at least a foot or 2 long. I once saw a poison ivy plant that had regrown a cut span of about 6 inches. Then pull, pull pull the stuff around the base of the tree.

I have heard of some people getting good results by spraying vinegar on the leaves. It breaks down in the soil so it won't hurt the tree.


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## danielsumner (Jul 18, 2009)

I've been battling the Ivy for years. I cut the bigger vines with a hacksaw around the trunks of the trees (pecans). I buy the concentrated roundup, I've got a handle on the problem, but far from free of the nasty vines. It's a constant fight.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Mature English ivy is a different animal from those little pots of vines. It grows a woody trunk, the rootlets on the vine can take apart stone walls and any building. It produces berries (bird carry infestations) and forms a complete habitat for rats - food and shelter in one place. The starling of the plant world.


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