Ivy - removing roots
Peter1979
Posts: 9
Hello,
At the bottom of my garden, against a small wall and fence was a very established mass of ivy. There seem to be multiple trunks, some much thicker than my arm. I want to put a shed with concrete base in this area and so have removed it to the stumps and drilled into each of them, pouring in neat round-up stump killer and brushing the surface of the stump with it too (I left them covered with plastic bags for 2 weeks).
Today I started to try and dig the roots out, as time has become an issue and I need to get on with putting in a shed, so im not sure the root killer would have had great effect. The roots are huge, go pretty deep and are everywhere, its seriously crazy. Some of them run under the wall footings and out under my drive, obviously im not able to get these out. Some run under the garden quite a distance. I have got most of it, but im already 3ft deep and some keep going.
So, how much of this do I need to get out, remembering that I have applied this root killer on it 2 weeks ago. Also I am going to be laying a concrete slab on top this area so will I be causing myself future problem by not getting the majority of it out.
cheers
(a seriously nackered) Pete
Posts
We did this a couple of years ago, it was a killer. It's worth being thorough and to date none of it has grown back! We couldn't get it all out but we got everything we could find out.
Cheers for the reassurance! I cant quite believe the size of the roots. They go everywhere!!
Poison Ivy
I am bounded at the rear by an 8 foot tall boundary fence 30 feet long belonging to the school, which I planted lots of variegated ivy plants some have reverted back to green,and are now over 4 feet above the fence, and it looks good a very thick mass!
In late winter, early spring I get Brimstone butterflies and lots of early bees on the flowers, this year a pair of blackbirds nested,as well as a pair of Dunnocks, Wrens and Robins i get them most years.
My neighbour feeds and keep an eye out for them and tells me where they go in and out of the ivy, I found the Robins nest but not the others this year!
They have all flown their nests now, only the male blackbird is here now with one of his young, which he keeps attacking trying to drive it off!
Poison Ivy part 2
About 2 months ago I trimmed some branches that had fallen over the path back!
I developed an itchy red rash on both arms and as I had been eating oranges I blamed them, i had some anti histamine tablets in the house took them and it went after a few days.
As the birds had flown, about 6 weeks ago my neighbour offered me his green bin and with mine also, I cut down some more of the large branches chopped them up and binned them!
Again I got a rash this time all over my body, this time I had to go to the doctor who gave me strong tablets but it took a full month to clear, I still did not connect the rash with the ivy!
Last Wednesday I had the offer of the green bin again, so I cut down some more branches as one would!
I woke up during that night with the rash back,I still has some of the strong tablets which I took immediately, so this time it has not been too itchy!
I got to thinking that the only thing to connect my rash was the ivy, so I looked up on the net and it was all there about the effects that ivy can cause!
I have only cut down about a quarter so far, so there's trouble ahead!
I have cut it down and handled it other years without and effects, so why this year am I having a problem?
Any comments would be most welcome!
Cheers
Jimmmy.
A stump grinder looks good to get rid of large stumps to ground level or just below, but its the long spreading roots that are the problem. The main part of the ivy stump is gone now.
From what I have just been reading I understood poison ivy didnt grow in the. However we have plenty of our home grown plants which can cause very painful rashes.
I got two workmen in to remove some huge ivy roots and a very old Mahonia. It took them ages to get both of those out.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
.
Don't quote me, BUT they still have not fixed the problem about the quotes!
Confucius him say, if it aint broke don't fix it!
What makes you say that Jimmmy?
(
they haven't fixed anything since they broke it).
hi peter1979if as you say it is next to the back wall and thick yes drill stems deep we had Russian vine that had been put in by other house holder and he tried for years and used all sorts I used caustic drain cleaner as mine was no where near garden I was happy to use and it worked the hardest thing then was cleaning it of walls ( it died quickly ) but as I say had to get ladders to scrape walls that was 6yrs ago and still no vine a friend had a tree stump on rough ground drilled deep with a big bit used caustic (dieing now) but be carefull don't let it on grass