Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

English ivy

dyanguetterdyanguetter Posts: 1
in Plants
I have 9ft wall of English ivy . It’s been here when we bought the house in 2019 . We trimmed it back every year . It always looked good , never any sign of disease, until this spring we have brown spots , blotches light and dark . 
We don’t want to loose it . It has given us great privacy/from neighbours and the sun . 
Not sure if you can help me . 
Any advice would be grateful. 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    It could be weather damage ftom the alternating sharp frosts and mild spells we had this last winter … if so the old leaves should be replaced by healthy new ones in due course.  

    Could it have suffered in the drought last summer?  We’re you able to give the roots some good soakings of water?

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





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's quite common @dyanguetter but  not usually anything to worry about, and when trimmed back it should produce plenty of new growth.
    They're always a bit rough after winter, but the dry weather last year will have made it more pronounced as they do best with lots of water. Mine is worse than usual because of that  :)
    I get damage every year on a variegated one of mine, as they tend to suffer more. Looks dire, but after a good trim it's fine.  :)

    Just another point though - you've put your email address on your post. It's too late to remove it yourself, but if you contact the mods, they may be able to take it off. 
    PM @Catherine Mansley and see if that can be done   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited April 2023
    A hot dry summer and an unusually cold winter is leaving mnay people with problems with several plants.

    I have recently removed an ivy from a house wall.  ("Green Ripple"). It was starting to grow into the roof space in spite of twice yearly cut-backs.  Interesting that it should head for the dark.
     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
    The ivy isn’t ‘heading for the dark’ as such when it invaded your roof space … it’s simply clinging to the next bit of the support it’s on with its adventitious roots.  

    The damage to the roof and soffits is then caused as the growing tip has nowhere to go as there is no light source so it then puts out lots of sideshoots which infiltrate the narrow gaps and push them apart. 

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





Sign In or Register to comment.