My neighbours hedge has ivy growing through it, it's now partially covered the corner wall right up to the roof. My neighbour has complained (not to me) that it is an eyesore, mainly because I am a council tenant and that I should deal with it. I have pulled as much down as I can, which was growing over my bedroom window but I have a fear of heights and cannot go up a ladder. Is it my responsibility to clear it, or is my neighbour trying to save money and shirk the responsibility
Hello Karen, If the hedge definitely belongs to your neighbour and is not a shared boundary, then it is his problem and not yours. You are within your rights to insist he deals with the ivy at his expense.
As you are a council tenant, you could also ask them to remove the ivy, but I wouldn't hold your breath!
The easiest way to kill ivy is just to keep cutting the stems at ground level if you can get to them. The old ivy will eventually go brown and die off, but it's quite hard to actually get it off the wall.
Ivy is not a parasite; it competes for nutrients, but it doesn't tap into a plant that it's growing over. The other damage it does is by shading - depriving other plants of the light they need - and ultimately by being heavy enough to break branches, especially if they're dying back.
Karen
I would firstly approach the council, as the ivy will be damaging the fabric of your house, which is the Council's asset. Let us know what happens.
I suspect you will find that the council says that ivy is a garden plant - you are responsible for the garden of your property - therefore it is your responsibility to remove it AND they will hold you responsible for any damage it causes to the building.
If the ivy is actually growing from your neighbours property the council may take a more active interest because of the potential damage to your house.
I suspect you will find that the council says that ivy is a garden plant - you are responsible for the garden of your property - therefore it is your responsibility to remove it AND they will hold you responsible for any damage it causes to the building.
If the ivy is actually growing from your neighbours property the council may take a more active interest because of the potential damage to your house.
I assumed from the post that the position might be that it's the neighbour's responsibility, which is why I suggested going to the Council. It's best to start off by going to someone who won't give you grief and who should know how the responsibilities are allocated and what the tenancy agreement states. Good luck Karen.
I would also think that if your house is a council property and a neighbours plant is invading your council property you should be able to get the council to deal with it . However Local government is short of money.
You could just saw through the stems at the base of the plant. That would certainly be a damage limitation measure. I have tried getting rid of ivy plants and they are dreadfully resilient to weed killers etc.
A good point Joe but I assume you can cut off what is on your side and offer the cuttings back to your neighbour. If the rootstock is actually on your side it is yours to do what you want with it.
I took it from Karen's original post that the ivy and the hedge belonged to the neighbour (which is why she needs to approach the council first to find the truth). You are right that intruding plants from a neighbour can be cut off at your boundary and offered back, because they're his property. However... I've never done this without first discussing it with the neighbour - either in my garden or when instructed by a customer to do so. It's a darned sight easier not to have to explain the law to someone who's shouting and swearing and threatening to damage your van or call the police.
Posts
My neighbours hedge has ivy growing through it, it's now partially covered the corner wall right up to the roof. My neighbour has complained (not to me) that it is an eyesore, mainly because I am a council tenant and that I should deal with it. I have pulled as much down as I can, which was growing over my bedroom window but I have a fear of heights and cannot go up a ladder. Is it my responsibility to clear it, or is my neighbour trying to save money and shirk the responsibility
Hello Karen, If the hedge definitely belongs to your neighbour and is not a shared boundary, then it is his problem and not yours. You are within your rights to insist he deals with the ivy at his expense.
As you are a council tenant, you could also ask them to remove the ivy, but I wouldn't hold your breath!
The easiest way to kill ivy is just to keep cutting the stems at ground level if you can get to them. The old ivy will eventually go brown and die off, but it's quite hard to actually get it off the wall.
Hope this helps.
heather,
Ivy is not a parasite; it competes for nutrients, but it doesn't tap into a plant that it's growing over. The other damage it does is by shading - depriving other plants of the light they need - and ultimately by being heavy enough to break branches, especially if they're dying back.
Karen
I would firstly approach the council, as the ivy will be damaging the fabric of your house, which is the Council's asset. Let us know what happens.
Thank you, I will email the council and see what response I get from them.
I suspect you will find that the council says that ivy is a garden plant - you are responsible for the garden of your property - therefore it is your responsibility to remove it AND they will hold you responsible for any damage it causes to the building.
If the ivy is actually growing from your neighbours property the council may take a more active interest because of the potential damage to your house.
I would also think that if your house is a council property and a neighbours plant is invading your council property you should be able to get the council to deal with it . However Local government is short of money.
You could just saw through the stems at the base of the plant. That would certainly be a damage limitation measure. I have tried getting rid of ivy plants and they are dreadfully resilient to weed killers etc.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
Be careful about destroying or damaging plants on someone else's property; the expression 'criminal damage' comes to mind.
A good point Joe but I assume you can cut off what is on your side and offer the cuttings back to your neighbour. If the rootstock is actually on your side it is yours to do what you want with it.
That does not sound grammatically correct.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
I took it from Karen's original post that the ivy and the hedge belonged to the neighbour (which is why she needs to approach the council first to find the truth). You are right that intruding plants from a neighbour can be cut off at your boundary and offered back, because they're his property. However... I've never done this without first discussing it with the neighbour - either in my garden or when instructed by a customer to do so. It's a darned sight easier not to have to explain the law to someone who's shouting and swearing and threatening to damage your van or call the police.