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Long established outdoor variegated ivy turning brown?

Alison299Alison299 Posts: 5
edited January 2023 in Problem solving
Hi,
I’m wondering if anyone could please identify what’s happing to my ivy? It’s been growing on my garden fence for over 20 years and I’ve never had this issue. Even during last summers heatwave it was healthy. Could it have anything to do with the cold snap we’ve had recently (with up to -3c temperatures)? I’m really hoping it’s not some type of disease, I would hate to loss it after all these years. 
Any help or advice will be gratefully received:)
Thank you,
Ali

Posts

  • LilyWLilyW Posts: 41
    My ivy did this too, so sad. Same age, same symptoms. I posted here and we all concluded it was the lack of nutrients and water left in the soil as the ivy Roots were so big.
    If this isn’t the case for you that means I will have to rethink!
  • Alison299Alison299 Posts: 5
    Thanks for your reply. I’m sorry this happened to you too. Were you able to save it?

  • LilyWLilyW Posts: 41
    It took a few months to totally die back. The next year it grew back,a bit then repeated its death throes. It just won’t grow back like it did.
  • Alison299Alison299 Posts: 5
    Oh no :-( . Did you try treating the soil?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's quite common with many of the variegated ones, especially in colder spells, so don't worry too much @Alison299. Minus 3 isn't particularly cold though, so it will just have affected the outer edges, especially if that was softer, new growth. The mild conditions in autumn mean that it can happen quite easily     :)
    If you can take off the dead stuff, it should grow fresh new foliage during spring and summer, but the old stuff will drop by itself. Variegated plants of any kind tend to be less tough than green varieties too.
    I grow Gloire de Marengo  on a fence and it does that every year. It comes back without any help from me though.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Alison299Alison299 Posts: 5
    Thank you fairygirl your reply’s much appreciated, I’m so relieved that the general consensus so far doesn’t seem to be a fungal disease:)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I agree with @fairygirl ... that looks like weather damage to me ... I wouldn't be concerned.   :)

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





  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited January 2023
    Just a touch of frost.  The affected leaves might already be falling off on their own.  Or tidy up the miain offenders.
     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."
  • Alison299Alison299 Posts: 5
    Thanks everyone for all your responses, they’ve definitely put my mind at rest :)
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