Ivy?

Hi
Im thinking of buying an Ivy to place in a shadowy area of my garden, which is bordering with a standard wooden fence.
However I am scared that by overnight it would swallow the fence,the brick wall and anything around it.
Also I paint/treat the fences every other year, obviously with the ivy I wouldn't be able to do that, at least on one side. Does it mean that it would damage/rot the fence away sooner? Is it a bad idea to put it there?

Thanks

 

Hi PF,

I'd treat the fence with 5 Star first, not cheap but will give better protection for longer than the cheaper stuff. It will take a while to cover things but you can cut it back.

Don't cut the roots though as this makes the suckers aggressive, they will turn into roots & can force masonry apart in search of food & water.

 

Ivy does absolutely no damage to fences or trees and just use them as an anchor point. I would rather grow ivy than paint my fence, as it attracts so much wildife, Ivy is not rampant but grows slowly.

 

I agree with Ziggy, give the fence a long term treatment first, but don`t be afraid to use Ivy.

 

It exibits polymorphism, same as Holly, but you didn't want to know that

 

Lad, the idea of treating the fence is to preserve the same, thus allowing the Ivy to grow along it without the fence rotting beneath it.

 

What's 5 stars? If I google it all I get is fancy resorts
We have used Ronseal in the past.

that sounds scary! How and why would I cut the roots???

I also forgot to add that within about 2 feet I have the patio. Will the roots damage it?

how slow is slow?



Do I have any other plant options?

thanks again

 

Sorry, cuprinol 5 star.

I didn't think you would cut the roots, that was just a general warning for anyone with ivy growing up their house.

 

Firstly just to say hello, I joined this morning.
On the subject of Ivy.
Well mention Ivy and it makes me cringe, I have quite a lot of ivy round my garden fences, but it is not mine it has crept into my garden over and through fences, it has even got into my garage roof and into my shed.
I was ill for just over two years and it came in without any intervention from me to stop it.
I have now come to the decision to live with it, I have no option, but just like me it needs a trim every so often to keep me in control.
Being a lover of wildlife I am very careful how much I trim back.

 

Pinkfinger, you read my mind! :D I was thinking of posting the exact same question, shady fence, ivy, scared of it taking over! Weird.
I was thinking of getting it to cover a shady fence border for the wildlife but was also scared that it would overcome everything else in its path, mainly the shed and patio but by the sound of it, i should be ok, thanks!

 

If you really want to cover things, a strangler fig would be the one to choose.

They are self supporting, so once your house has crumbled away, you'll still have a house shaped plant

 

that is a monster now you are just scaring me :o
I think I changed my mind. Dont want Ivy anymore.
What about potato vine, that is not so aggressive , or is it?

 

I planted a variegated ivy (the ones you get in those mixed plant baskets at Christmas etc) against a 6ft shady wall and it took a good 5 years before it reached the top and started to 'mature', it was just a case of pruning off unwanted growth then.

Don't know exactly which variety it was but it is well behaved and in no way a thug....

Hedera Colchica (Persian Ivy) however is one that is much more vigorous and will cover anything and everything quite quickly.....

 

Hi ALL
I realy like ivy ..... just need to get the variety right at the start, some are big leaved some tiny some are more rampant , I grow gold heart its taken ages to get up to the top of the fence like 3 years so I would call that a slow grower but at the moment it looks stuning in the shady part of the garden
I grow another I think Glacier another realy good one , in the past ivy has held my fence up and kept the shed together
So do your homework first and get a variety to suit you and your needs
Spruce

 

At least I got the Red Dwarf reference Zig :-)