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Irish ivy not climbing?

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  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @mra19845GJyKRC- Yes your Iris Ivy will be fine it wiil cling. It will also attract lots of wildlife which is great too.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    On this forum, you have to believe whom you believe.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited September 2022
    GardenerSuze said:
    I think the RHS has done some research that proves Ivy protects a wall. It stops rain from damaging the bricks?
    I think I have read this too. It accords with my experience.  I believe you do more damage by stripping ivy off a wall than leaving it.

    When I had a cottage on Dartmoor, I saw a labourer stripping ivy from a cob-built farm building.  Back in the pub, I related this story to the locals who were vociferous on how much damage ivy did.  I know incomers can't win this sort of argument against "I was born here.  I know what country people know."  I deferred to the majority.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2022
    Ivy is fine on a building if it’s kept trimmed and prevented from invading joints, window frames, gutters and roof spaces etc … and if you never intend to remove it and reveal the dried on adventitious roots. 

    However, if you are unable or unprepared to keep the ivy on your house or other building under control, then it’s best removed … but it will leave the brown adventitious roots. 

    It’s also worth bearing in mind that ivy provides a convenient access route for rats and other vermin into your home or farm building where they can contaminate grain stores and/or gnaw your electrical wiring causing fires. 


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





  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    Dovefromabove said:
    It’s also worth bearing in mind that ivy provides a convenient access route for rats and other vermin 

    That reminds me, I must check my Hydrangea petiolaris.  It usually gets a new blackbird nest every year, so the rats don't disturb them.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
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