Ivy will not kill or harm a healthy hedge but it does provide food and shelter for a wide range of wildlife as it matures. The little aerial roots it uses to cling are for support, not feeding.
If you want to control it, just cut it back now and then but otherwise leave well alone. You do need to make sure the hedge is well watered in dry spells and gets an annual feed from slow release fertiliser so that every shrub in it can thrive as well as the ivy.
I imagine DOS1 wishes to get rid of the ivy because he prefers his mixed hedge with plants of his own choice, so who are we to tell him he must have an ivy hedge?
Firstly, contact your local council to find out how to safely dispose of the sodium chlorate.
Then, set about cutting all the ivy down to ground level and stripping it out of the hedge. It will look a bit messy for a while until the other shrubs have regained some shape, but in my experience it doesn't take long to subdue ivy to the point where it stops trying to come back.
I'm puzzled as to why you want rid of it in, what is, a mixed hedge.It's a great nectar source for bees and makes great cover for birds nesting AND it's evergreen. What's not to like ?
Exactly my thoughts and when it gets old enough to produce berries they are a wonderful food source for birds in winter when there is limited food supply. Keep it is my advice.
I think the only thing contributors have specifically said is to not use sodium chlorate as a weedkiller. Partly because it will harm the hedge but mainly because of it's effect on the environment and the fact that it is now illegal for amateur gardeners (not sure about professionals) to use it as a weedkiller.
Several have said that they would prefer to keep the ivy as part of their hedge but that is not the same as saying the OP must keep it.
Last edited: 11 February 2017 10:29:25
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
I don't want to prolong this, but if the OP writes 'Ivy seems to be taking over in places. What is the best way of ridding the hedge of this plant.' it's not really helpful to send him on a guilt trip by suggesting all sorts of reasons why he should keep it - bees, bird food (he's already got hawthorn, holly); bird-shelter, bird-nesting (his other shrubs take care of that too); wide range of wildlife (ditto).
The article by Helen Yemm is not exactly an endorsement of keeping ivy in a garden hedge either.
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Ivy will not kill or harm a healthy hedge but it does provide food and shelter for a wide range of wildlife as it matures. The little aerial roots it uses to cling are for support, not feeding.
If you want to control it, just cut it back now and then but otherwise leave well alone. You do need to make sure the hedge is well watered in dry spells and gets an annual feed from slow release fertiliser so that every shrub in it can thrive as well as the ivy.
There's some info in this article by Helen Yemm - a well respected gardener - if you scroll down to the relevant paragraphs - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/3338304/Thorny-Problems-a-gift-from-the-birds.html
I imagine DOS1 wishes to get rid of the ivy because he prefers his mixed hedge with plants of his own choice, so who are we to tell him he must have an ivy hedge?
Firstly, contact your local council to find out how to safely dispose of the sodium chlorate.
Then, set about cutting all the ivy down to ground level and stripping it out of the hedge. It will look a bit messy for a while until the other shrubs have regained some shape, but in my experience it doesn't take long to subdue ivy to the point where it stops trying to come back.
I haven't seen anyone tell him / her that they " must have " anything. Maybe I've missed something.
I'm puzzled as to why you want rid of it in, what is, a mixed hedge.It's a great nectar source for bees and makes great cover for birds nesting AND it's evergreen. What's not to like ?
Exactly my thoughts and when it gets old enough to produce berries they are a wonderful food source for birds in winter when there is limited food supply. Keep it is my advice.
Missed something?
so where has anyone said they"must" keep it? Merely offering a different perspective.
I think the only thing contributors have specifically said is to not use sodium chlorate as a weedkiller. Partly because it will harm the hedge but mainly because of it's effect on the environment and the fact that it is now illegal for amateur gardeners (not sure about professionals) to use it as a weedkiller.
Several have said that they would prefer to keep the ivy as part of their hedge but that is not the same as saying the OP must keep it.
Last edited: 11 February 2017 10:29:25
I don't want to prolong this, but if the OP writes 'Ivy seems to be taking over in places. What is the best way of ridding the hedge of this plant.' it's not really helpful to send him on a guilt trip by suggesting all sorts of reasons why he should keep it - bees, bird food (he's already got hawthorn, holly); bird-shelter, bird-nesting (his other shrubs take care of that too); wide range of wildlife (ditto).
The article by Helen Yemm is not exactly an endorsement of keeping ivy in a garden hedge either.
Joe,maybe you've never re-considered a course of action following some well intended comments from others. I know I have.
I repeat nobody has told DOS1 what he or she " must" do.
We must (sorry, should possibly) agree to differ, Hostafan, about gardening and grammar.
Joe, I agree to disagree.
You were the one who used the phrase " must have" Nobody else.
Clearly you're not up to accepting you're wrong. So let's leave it.