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Moving an established Virginia creeper

WatsoniaWatsonia Posts: 134
in Plants
We are removing an old summer house / shed from our patio area as it basically falling down (it now looks much worse than in the picture) and are replacing the fence behind it.

There is a lovely Virginia creeper growing up it. My challenge is that it has been planted in a hole in the patio. Once the summerhouse is removed it will be almost right in the centre of the total Patio. So what to do? Move it? How and when would that be best undertaken? The summerhouse will be removed beginning of March. Take the ivy out? I rather love it and it’s swarming with bees in summer. Leave it where it is and make a feature of it?  I’m a bit stumped and out of ideas. 

Couple of photos to show the location (back corner). It more or less covers the shed in summer. The fence is adjacent to the shed on the right and the shed takes up currently about half of the patio space. We will put a small table and a couple of chairs where the shed is currently located.


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  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I'd cut it back to about 1m tall and remove as big a rootball as you can. 
    I think it'll bounce back IF you get enough root with it.
    Devon.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Could you put up a pergola?
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • WatsoniaWatsonia Posts: 134
    The root ball might be the challenge. I don’t know what’s under the shed. I assume the patio continues based on the slabs, but it might not. The opening visible for the creeper next to the shed is very small, about 20x20cm, so I might have to lift the slabs. Which I’m not opposed to doing. Do you think beginning of March is a good time to move it if I can get a decent root ball @Hostafan1 ?

    The garden is north-west facing, so I have ruled out a pergola @Loxley. I would like to maximise the sun in this spot  ☺️
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd try and do it now - I wouldn't wait until March. Much easier while ground is damper, especially if you're in a drier area, and with the aspect of the site. 
    It may not be possible though, if the roots are well under the s'house. If so, you'll have to wait, but make sure the area is well soaked to make it easier to dig out. You'll need to lift some of that paving or you're likely to just do a lot of damage to the roots. The bigger the root ball you get out, the better the chances of it thriving. 
    You'll need to find a suitable wall [ideally] or fence for it. If you're replacing the existing one, that's probably the best solution if it isn't overly hot and sunny for getting it established. 
    Lovely plants. Good luck with it   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • WatsoniaWatsonia Posts: 134
    I was indeed thinking about potentially moving it to the new fence to let it climb all over it. So if that stays the plan I will have to wait until the fence is put in. It’s the first weekend in March, so not to far out. I can take the summerhouse down earlier to assess the access to the rootball. And we had a lot, a lot of rain. Hopefully the ground will still be pliable - the clay here turns to concrete in the summer.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Worth spending a bit of time improving the soil too before planting - the ground could be compacted after the fence being put in, and it's always beneficial to make the new home as hospitable as possible. 
    Good luck with it - they're beautiful climbers, probably my favourite of them all  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    Great finish! Well done  B)
    I wish I could garden all year round!
  • dominia30dominia30 Posts: 23
    hahahaha [laughs holloway] - having done battle for the last 10 years with an inherited virginia creeper. I suspect the war is long lost as it seems to be too well established among the brambles of the woodland behind our wall. Any tips to eradicate it permanently would be much appreciated...
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    That looks nice Watsonia.

    I think the quickest way to eradicate a well established VC would be to use glyphosate, Dominia30. Although if it has actually set root in the woodland outside your garden, I don't know what you'd do!
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
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