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Happy 20 year old ivy suddenly not so happy and keeps dying

ObsessedPlantswomanObsessedPlantswoman Posts: 69
in Problem solving
It’s a variegated large leaved glossy ivy which has grown up the side of my house very healthy for over 20 years. Suddenly at the start of last year the leaves went brown and fell off and this crept up the ivy until branches fell off and eventually it was all gone, except the thick trunk. Then was happy to see it come back this year, well for a month or two, then same thing has happened. It was wet last year and dry this year so it’s not the weather.

i would really Appreciate if anyone knows what this is. Thanks.

wo
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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Can we see the whole of the plant please, including the soil it’s growing in. 
    😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    The larger leafed Ivies are more prone to dry heat and sun.  The fact that it recovered last year doesn't necessarily mean that it won't suffer this year - depending where you are and what your weather is/has been like of course.
    Perhaps it has reached the extent of it's available "pocket" ?  Has a lot of other plants growing over/round the base ? Without knowing the situation, it's difficult to suggest a reason.
    You could try taking a cutting for the future if you have a suitable site.
  • ObsessedPlantswomanObsessedPlantswoman Posts: 69
    Soil isn’t very fertile, and wallS north and North west facing. The thicker lower trunk that looks dead did provide the stem for the original ivy, which covered the house wall.
  • ObsessedPlantswomanObsessedPlantswoman Posts: 69

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’m sorry but I can’t imagine why you think lack of water isn’t killing your ivy … even in a wet year there is no way the roots can access anything like enough  moisture. 😢 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Hard to work out from the pics but looks like you have exhausted the space available :)
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @ObsessedPlantswoman sedplantswomanIs it planted too close to the wall maybe?
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • ObsessedPlantswomanObsessedPlantswoman Posts: 69
    edited August 2022
    The reason I didn’t think it’s water, is because the wall was covered in ivy for the last 20 years and nothing about the soil or bed has changed in that time. If there isn’t enough water then it wouldn’t come back for a few months looking green and lush, then slowly completely die back? It dies from the top leaf downwards over months. 

    it might be a disease?
  • ObsessedPlantswomanObsessedPlantswoman Posts: 69
    ‘Hard to work out from the pics but looks like you have exhausted the space available’

    Maybe the jasmine has bullied it out!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited August 2022
    Over the last 20 years it had been using up what moisture there is, while growing and becoming a larger plant needing more water each year. 

    It would come back looking green and lush after the wettest coolest period (winter) when no real demands are being made on the plant … then temperatures rise, sun and drying winds desiccate the leaves, and the plant draws on what moisture there is in a struggle to grow …. but there’s not enough moisture to sustain it. 

    The fact that it’s going brown from the top down shows that there’s not enough moisture to pump up to keep the highest growing tips alive. 

    Last year’s  spring (2021) was unusually dry.  This year’s winter and spring were even drier. Now we have a heatwave. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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