How to Kill or Remove Ivy Root

I had many, many square yards of ivy in my acre of garden, including up and over high walls. In places it was 'layer upon layer'. A couple of sprayed applications of glyphosate worked very well, but it needs good coverage. I usually put a small amount of paraffin in the mix. It is said that it helps with adhesion.

I don't usually cut the foliage off - there would be nothing to spray. However, where the main stalk is truly thick - inches - I suppose one could adopt the same process I do with trees. Having cut them through a few inches above ground level, I drill small holes down round the circumference and fill those with glyphosate. It certainly killed the roots of some massive poplars we had felled.

 

My neighbours, and mine had a 'hedge of ivy growing through the 'proper ' forsythia hedge. The old stone boundary wall is crumbling away in places so we cant pull it out of the walls. Trouble is my cats, and the dog, like to walk and lie down on this wall so we can't use anything poisonous or irritating. So if epsom salts or anything else works I would like to know how to use it. At the moment we have cut it back and severed every piece in the wall. My husband has cemented stones back but of course the animal highway (other cats walk along it as well) requires more repair.

 

FFlur, for me SBK or similar wood/stump killer is the answer. If you paint the freshly cut surfaces with the weedkiller and then cover the ends with polythene (bags, etc.) animals wont access it. Give it a few hours and then remove polythene.
Cannot comment on epsom salts....my only use of it has been as a plant tonic and to eliminate magnesium deficiency.

 

Just put a load of Epsom salts on the roots and cover up with plastic, weigh down with something heavy and leave it to work.....as an alternative.
This has worked for me.

 

I would agree with that provided there is a sufficiency of area on which you can paint the killer. If there is sufficient diameter, I would drill small holes down into the 'stump' and trickle the liquid down into them as well. However, from your description there may be many short 'ends' with little surface. I wouldn't have done what you have. I would have carefully painted the leaves with glyphosate, which I think is the main constituent of most killers of this sort. I usually put a little paraffin in the water to help it cling. If you could then cover with tarpaulins or the like for two or three days, I wouldn't think you would have a poison risk, but it might be wise to take further advice should you resort to this course at some future time.

Remember the purpose is to get maximum killer down into the roots. More surface area to apply the killer to, the better the chance of success.

 

Would it be alright to try with either method later in the year, when I can see what I am doing better.? A lot of the borders along the wall are full of herbaceous plants and are hard to get into. Does ivy become dormant in the winter I wonder.

I agree weedkillers work best on healthy leaves which carry the poison to the roots but my neighbour was cutting them back to the wall and it's her wall and hedge after all. We get on really well and She is fond of gardeningb She has planted elegaus? and I have planted a rose hedge, Hyde Hall

 

The stump killers dont work on green tissue only wood.

Yes,,fine to wait until autumn Fflur....just as effective then. However, fresh cuts, so cut again, and then paint the stump killer. No, ivy does not become dormant in the winter.

The big trouble with painting ivy leaves with glyphosate is that the weedkiller is not too effective on those resistant leathery leaves. I have 100% success rate with eradicating ivy treating the woody stems.

Its interesting to me that epsom salts works .....give it a try. Let us know if it works because I have mever tried it. Always keen to learn something new

 

I have applied glysophate to ivy in winter with great success - I've killed many square metres. I did it then to avoid the problem of killing other plants/flowers, ie when they were out of leaf.

Glysophate running off ivy leaves can be an issue. I believe there are chemicals to overcome that, but not available in small quantities so far as I know. However, a 5% mix of paraffin in the water (well shaken) has always worked for me, although it can take a little longer than usual to be effective.

 

Hiya Mervyn
I can remember too when oil was mixed with SBK for an effective stump killer

 

Any overspill from Epsom salts is diluted, and so feeds surrounding plants rather than damage them - all those roots need is the 'overdose'