How to Grow Ivy
Check with your local Extension Office before planting ivy outdoors., Do not grow ivy outdoors if you live on the west coast or in the eastern United States., Plant non-invasive alternatives to ivy., Plant English ivy in an outdoor area with full or...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check with your local Extension Office before planting ivy outdoors.
Ivies spread aggressively through spreading roots and seeds that are dispersed by birds after their inconspicuous flowers finish blooming.
They are considered invasive in certain areas because they invade nearby areas and kill off the native plants.
It is extremely difficult to get rid of ivy once the roots begin to spread. -
Step 2: Do not grow ivy outdoors if you live on the west coast or in the eastern United States.
English Ivy is considered an invasive plant species in these areas.As well, Boston ivy is considered invasive in a few areas in the northeast United States.
Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) grows well in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8and has dark glossy green three- to five-lobed leaves with lobes that are pointed rather than rounded.
Swedish ivy (Plectranthus australis) is another commonly grown ivy but it is usually grown indoors.It only grows well in Zones 10 and 11where winter temperatures rarely drop below −30 °F (−34 °C). , If you live in an area that does not allow you to grow ivy outdoors, you can plant non-invasive species like the Crinkle-leaf creeper (Rubus calycinoides), which grows well in Zones 6 to
10., You can also plant them in areas with full sun exposure.
Boston ivy thrives in full sun or partial shade and Swedish ivy grows well in partial shade. , When growing ivy indoors, put the containers in an area with bright indirect light or where they will get an hour or two of direct morning sunlight. , English ivy grows best in loamy soil that is high in organic matter but will grow in nearly any type of soil except wet clay, as this type of soil does not drain quickly.Boston ivy will thrive in nearly any type of soil as long as it drains quickly.
Swedish ivy requires fast-draining soil that contains plenty of organic matter.
When the soil drains too slowly, the ivy leaves will turn yellow and drop. , If you do not use a fence or trellis to allow the ivy to climb, they will grow along the ground like a ground-cover plant.
They can also be planted about 8 inches away from a fence, trellis or other climbing structure and allowed to climb.Do not plant Boston ivy along a building with wood shingles where it will grow beneath the shingles and into the house siding.Ivy will also grow around wiring, shutters and downspouts where it can eventually do serious damage so be aware of any possible structures near the ivy that you do not want to be invaded by the ivy.
English ivy does not grow as aggressively as Boston ivy, but it can also do serious damage to structures if it is allowed to grow freely. , Give them 2 inches (5.1Â cm) of water each week, or about 6 gallons (22.7Â L) of water per a week.
Use a soaker hose or watering can and always water below the leaves to help prevent mildew and leaf spots. , Check the container periodically while watering.
Dump it when it gets full, put it back in the soil and turn off the hose when it gets full the second time. , English ivy, Boston ivy and Swedish ivy are all drought tolerant and can survive long periods without supplemental water after they have been growing for a year or two.
This supplemental water is more important for English and Swedish ivy than Boston ivy, which will do just fine with even less than 1 inch of water per week., This will help the soil to retain moisture. , Pour the water evenly over the soil until it runs out the bottom.
Always empty the catch basin beneath the container to prevent the caught water from leaching back up into the soil and making the soil too wet.
If ivy is not watered enough, the leaves will turn brown and crispy and fall from the plant.
If it is watered too often, the leaves will turn yellow and drop. , Sprinkle 8 ounces of fertilizer per 50 square feet over the soil around the ivy and water it to wash the fertilizer down to the roots.Use fertilizer with a ratio of 19-6-12., You can also spread slow-release fertilizer beads over the top of the potting soil in the spring.
Do not give ivies fertilizer in the winter., Fertilizer can burn the plant’s roots if the soil is too dry.
Ivy that is not given enough fertilizer will grow much slower than ivy that is given fertilizer. , A container full of roots means the plant has become pot-bound.
The potting soil may also dry out more quickly than usual.Use a new pot that is only one size larger than the old pot. , Pour 1 inch of potting mix into the bottom of the new container, pull the ivy out of the old container, set it in the new container and finish filling it with potting mix.
Water the newly repotted ivy generously to help settle the soil. , Dull cutting tools will crush and damage the ivy stems. , The stems generally grow about 1 foot per year but they may grow faster, depending on the species and growing environment.
Outdoor ivies should be trimmed back by 6 to 12 inches each year to control their spread.
But how much you remove from each stem on either indoor or outdoor ivies is a matter of preference.
If the ivy is intended to cover a large fence or wall, it can be left to grow without pruning.
Once it has reached the size you want, however, it should be pruned back as much as necessary to keep it in its place., Indoor ivy stems can be left to grow all the way to the floor or up a moss pole or trellis, but they generally look better when they are trimmed back.
Use hand pruners or sharp scissors to trim back any unruly stems to your preferred length. , Downy and powdery mildews, leaf spots, cankers, stem rot, root rot and wilt are not life-threatening diseases for ivies; however, they can be rather unsightly.Downy mildew produces yellow spots on the tops of leaves and fluffy gray mildew on the bottoms.
Powdery mildew produces a white, powdery-looking substance on the tops of leaves.
Leaf spots are black or brown spots on the leaves that are caused by bacteria or fungi.
Keeping the leaves of the ivy dry will help prevent these diseases. , Combine 2 tablespoons of any type of cooking oil, 2 tablespoons of baby shampoo and 2 tablespoons of baking soda mixed into 1 gallon (3.8Â L) of water.
Shake the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed.
Pour the solution in a spray bottle.Diseased ivy can also be treated with chemical fungicides that contain copper but these chemicals are tightly regulated and can cause harm to people, pets and the environment., Do this every seven to ten days during cool, rainy weather.
Do not spray the ivy with the solution when temperatures are over 85 °F (29 °C) or in the hot mid-day sun as the solution will dry too quickly and could damage the leaves. , This will also remove any fallen bacteria or fungal spores that could re-infect the ivy.
If the ivy is being grown as a ground cover plant, pick the fallen leaves and debris out of the stems by hand to avoid disturbing the roots. , Make the cut a few inches below the canker where the ivy stem is still healthy.
Cankers are bacterial infections that often set in when a stem is injured.
The cankers are dark brown or black.
The ivy stem beyond the canker will not grow well and the leaves will turn yellow-green. , If any sections of the roots are blackened or brown and mushy, they are rotten will need to be removed and thrown away.Stem and root rots and wilts go hand in hand.
When these diseases occur, new ivy leaves will be small and yellow, the tips and edges of the leaves may turn brown, the leaves will drop and the entire plant will wilt.
If only a few roots are rotten but the rest are white and healthy, try watering the ivy less often.
It may recover. , All of these pests will suck the plant juices from ivy leaves and stems and secrete honeydew, a clear, sticky liquid.
However, once they are sprayed off, they often cannot get back onto the ivy or are killed by the strong spray of water.
If watering them with a strong spray from a hose does not work, spray the ivy with the same solution used to kill mildew but leave out the baking soda.
Aphids are tiny, oval or egg-shaped, soft-bodied insects that can be nearly any color.Leaf hoppers are small, wedge-shaped brown, green or yellow insects.Mealybugs and scale insects are flat, tiny, immobile, oval-shaped insects that are commonly tan, brown or off-white.Spider mites are barely visible.
They spin a very fine web between ivy stems and leaves and cause a light stippling or tiny white or yellow dots on the leaves., These pests will chew on the ivy leaves.
Wear protective gloves when picking off caterpillars as some species can sting., They will then crawl into the beer and drown.Sink a tuna or cat food can of beer into the ground near the ivy so that the top of the can is level with the ground.
Check the cans every afternoon and dump the dead snails and slugs.
Then, re-fill the cans and place them back into the soil near the ivy. -
Step 3: Plant non-invasive alternatives to ivy.
-
Step 4: Plant English ivy in an outdoor area with full or partial shade that gets two to four hours of direct sunlight.
-
Step 5: Place ivy in an indoor area with bright indirect sunlight.
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Step 6: If possible
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Step 7: use loamy soil high in organic matter.
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Step 8: Plant ivy plants 1 and a half to 2 feet apart in the garden.
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Step 9: Water outdoor English ivy
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Step 10: Boston ivy and Swedish ivy twice a week during the spring
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Step 11: summer
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Step 12: and fall for the first year after planting.
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Step 13: Set a 1-inch container next to the ivy to deliver the right amount of water.
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Step 14: After the first year of growth
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Step 15: give the ivy 1 inch of water per week.
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Step 16: Spread a 2- to 3-inch depth of organic mulch around the ivy.
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Step 17: Water indoor ivies when the top 1/2 inch of the potting soil becomes dry.
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Step 18: Fertilize outdoor ivies with granular fertilizer in the spring when they begin to grow.
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Step 19: Give indoor ivies water-soluble fertilizer once every four weeks during the spring
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Step 20: summer and fall.
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Step 21: Always water indoor ivies before giving them fertilizer solution.
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Step 22: Repot indoor ivies when the container is filled with roots.
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Step 23: Place the plant in peat-based potting mix that contains sand and perlite for improved drainage.
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Step 24: Use sharp hedge shears or pruners to prune ivy.
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Step 25: Prune outdoor ivy plants in the spring and once or twice throughout the growing season.
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Step 26: Trim back any excessively long stems on indoor ivy.
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Step 27: Water the ivy with a soaker hose or watering can below to the leaves to prevent diseases.
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Step 28: Treat disease with an environmentally-friendly solution.
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Step 29: Spray the ivy with the solution until the tops and bottoms of the leaves and stems are dripping.
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Step 30: Rake up and dispose of any fallen leaves and debris around the ivy stems.
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Step 31: Prune off any cankerous stem and put them in the garbage.
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Step 32: Check the plant’s roots for root rot.
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Step 33: Spray ivies with a garden hose to crush aphids
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Step 34: leaf hoppers
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Step 35: mealybugs
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Step 36: scale insects
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Step 37: and spider mites.
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Step 38: Pick off any beetles
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Step 39: caterpillars
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Step 40: snails or slugs on the ivy.
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Step 41: Place shallow cans filled with beer around the ivy to attract snails and slugs.
Detailed Guide
Ivies spread aggressively through spreading roots and seeds that are dispersed by birds after their inconspicuous flowers finish blooming.
They are considered invasive in certain areas because they invade nearby areas and kill off the native plants.
It is extremely difficult to get rid of ivy once the roots begin to spread.
English Ivy is considered an invasive plant species in these areas.As well, Boston ivy is considered invasive in a few areas in the northeast United States.
Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) grows well in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8and has dark glossy green three- to five-lobed leaves with lobes that are pointed rather than rounded.
Swedish ivy (Plectranthus australis) is another commonly grown ivy but it is usually grown indoors.It only grows well in Zones 10 and 11where winter temperatures rarely drop below −30 °F (−34 °C). , If you live in an area that does not allow you to grow ivy outdoors, you can plant non-invasive species like the Crinkle-leaf creeper (Rubus calycinoides), which grows well in Zones 6 to
10., You can also plant them in areas with full sun exposure.
Boston ivy thrives in full sun or partial shade and Swedish ivy grows well in partial shade. , When growing ivy indoors, put the containers in an area with bright indirect light or where they will get an hour or two of direct morning sunlight. , English ivy grows best in loamy soil that is high in organic matter but will grow in nearly any type of soil except wet clay, as this type of soil does not drain quickly.Boston ivy will thrive in nearly any type of soil as long as it drains quickly.
Swedish ivy requires fast-draining soil that contains plenty of organic matter.
When the soil drains too slowly, the ivy leaves will turn yellow and drop. , If you do not use a fence or trellis to allow the ivy to climb, they will grow along the ground like a ground-cover plant.
They can also be planted about 8 inches away from a fence, trellis or other climbing structure and allowed to climb.Do not plant Boston ivy along a building with wood shingles where it will grow beneath the shingles and into the house siding.Ivy will also grow around wiring, shutters and downspouts where it can eventually do serious damage so be aware of any possible structures near the ivy that you do not want to be invaded by the ivy.
English ivy does not grow as aggressively as Boston ivy, but it can also do serious damage to structures if it is allowed to grow freely. , Give them 2 inches (5.1Â cm) of water each week, or about 6 gallons (22.7Â L) of water per a week.
Use a soaker hose or watering can and always water below the leaves to help prevent mildew and leaf spots. , Check the container periodically while watering.
Dump it when it gets full, put it back in the soil and turn off the hose when it gets full the second time. , English ivy, Boston ivy and Swedish ivy are all drought tolerant and can survive long periods without supplemental water after they have been growing for a year or two.
This supplemental water is more important for English and Swedish ivy than Boston ivy, which will do just fine with even less than 1 inch of water per week., This will help the soil to retain moisture. , Pour the water evenly over the soil until it runs out the bottom.
Always empty the catch basin beneath the container to prevent the caught water from leaching back up into the soil and making the soil too wet.
If ivy is not watered enough, the leaves will turn brown and crispy and fall from the plant.
If it is watered too often, the leaves will turn yellow and drop. , Sprinkle 8 ounces of fertilizer per 50 square feet over the soil around the ivy and water it to wash the fertilizer down to the roots.Use fertilizer with a ratio of 19-6-12., You can also spread slow-release fertilizer beads over the top of the potting soil in the spring.
Do not give ivies fertilizer in the winter., Fertilizer can burn the plant’s roots if the soil is too dry.
Ivy that is not given enough fertilizer will grow much slower than ivy that is given fertilizer. , A container full of roots means the plant has become pot-bound.
The potting soil may also dry out more quickly than usual.Use a new pot that is only one size larger than the old pot. , Pour 1 inch of potting mix into the bottom of the new container, pull the ivy out of the old container, set it in the new container and finish filling it with potting mix.
Water the newly repotted ivy generously to help settle the soil. , Dull cutting tools will crush and damage the ivy stems. , The stems generally grow about 1 foot per year but they may grow faster, depending on the species and growing environment.
Outdoor ivies should be trimmed back by 6 to 12 inches each year to control their spread.
But how much you remove from each stem on either indoor or outdoor ivies is a matter of preference.
If the ivy is intended to cover a large fence or wall, it can be left to grow without pruning.
Once it has reached the size you want, however, it should be pruned back as much as necessary to keep it in its place., Indoor ivy stems can be left to grow all the way to the floor or up a moss pole or trellis, but they generally look better when they are trimmed back.
Use hand pruners or sharp scissors to trim back any unruly stems to your preferred length. , Downy and powdery mildews, leaf spots, cankers, stem rot, root rot and wilt are not life-threatening diseases for ivies; however, they can be rather unsightly.Downy mildew produces yellow spots on the tops of leaves and fluffy gray mildew on the bottoms.
Powdery mildew produces a white, powdery-looking substance on the tops of leaves.
Leaf spots are black or brown spots on the leaves that are caused by bacteria or fungi.
Keeping the leaves of the ivy dry will help prevent these diseases. , Combine 2 tablespoons of any type of cooking oil, 2 tablespoons of baby shampoo and 2 tablespoons of baking soda mixed into 1 gallon (3.8Â L) of water.
Shake the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed.
Pour the solution in a spray bottle.Diseased ivy can also be treated with chemical fungicides that contain copper but these chemicals are tightly regulated and can cause harm to people, pets and the environment., Do this every seven to ten days during cool, rainy weather.
Do not spray the ivy with the solution when temperatures are over 85 °F (29 °C) or in the hot mid-day sun as the solution will dry too quickly and could damage the leaves. , This will also remove any fallen bacteria or fungal spores that could re-infect the ivy.
If the ivy is being grown as a ground cover plant, pick the fallen leaves and debris out of the stems by hand to avoid disturbing the roots. , Make the cut a few inches below the canker where the ivy stem is still healthy.
Cankers are bacterial infections that often set in when a stem is injured.
The cankers are dark brown or black.
The ivy stem beyond the canker will not grow well and the leaves will turn yellow-green. , If any sections of the roots are blackened or brown and mushy, they are rotten will need to be removed and thrown away.Stem and root rots and wilts go hand in hand.
When these diseases occur, new ivy leaves will be small and yellow, the tips and edges of the leaves may turn brown, the leaves will drop and the entire plant will wilt.
If only a few roots are rotten but the rest are white and healthy, try watering the ivy less often.
It may recover. , All of these pests will suck the plant juices from ivy leaves and stems and secrete honeydew, a clear, sticky liquid.
However, once they are sprayed off, they often cannot get back onto the ivy or are killed by the strong spray of water.
If watering them with a strong spray from a hose does not work, spray the ivy with the same solution used to kill mildew but leave out the baking soda.
Aphids are tiny, oval or egg-shaped, soft-bodied insects that can be nearly any color.Leaf hoppers are small, wedge-shaped brown, green or yellow insects.Mealybugs and scale insects are flat, tiny, immobile, oval-shaped insects that are commonly tan, brown or off-white.Spider mites are barely visible.
They spin a very fine web between ivy stems and leaves and cause a light stippling or tiny white or yellow dots on the leaves., These pests will chew on the ivy leaves.
Wear protective gloves when picking off caterpillars as some species can sting., They will then crawl into the beer and drown.Sink a tuna or cat food can of beer into the ground near the ivy so that the top of the can is level with the ground.
Check the cans every afternoon and dump the dead snails and slugs.
Then, re-fill the cans and place them back into the soil near the ivy.
About the Author
Janet Sanchez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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