Removing ivy - any advice please

4 years ago

Hi everyone,

We need to remove an ivy tree (climbing on our fence, just outside our back door - image below) before we embark on a single storey rear extension. Do any clever people have any ideas or advice on the best way to do this; cut at the root and then add herbicide/vinegar-based alternative? Try to find all the roots under slabs and remove as much as we can? Will the foundations of the extension naturally kill off of it that might be left? We're not green-fingered at all, so any help much appreciated! Thank so much :)

p.s please excuse state of the fence!

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Comments (5)

rachelmidlands
4 years ago
Wow, that is a thick trunk of ivy. Well done for keeping it under control. No expert but I did some googling and I would try cutting at about a foot above the base and drill a few holes into the stump and fill these holes with tree stump killer or whichever herbicide you wish to use, cover with a plastic bag or foil then wrap an elastic band around it to keep the rain off. Check every few days and top up chemicals as necessary. The theory of this is that the chemicals will absorb into the vascular system of tree (or in this case ivy) and also kill the roots. The top half when cut will eventually turn brown and dry up which should make it easier to remove. If you decide to use a vinegar method then it needs to be 20% acid strength rather than the 5-6% you get in supermarkets. Not sure how long this would take to work or even if it does work but I imagine 2-3 weeks before you see any results. When you dig foundations for new extension try and remove as many roots as possible but smothering them should have little effect on your build. Hope this helps a little.
Patrizia thanked rachelmidlands
Patrizia
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks so much Rachel! Will give it a go this weekend. :)
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Jonathan
4 years ago
I wouldn’t worry too much- when they have a digger in for the foundations they can dig up the stump easily then.
Chris Goodchild
4 years ago
As Rachel says, you have to keep at it, one application even of a systemic herbicide like RoundUp is not enough. Keep checking the herbicide in the holes, the effect won't be noticeable for at least two weeks then the leaves should begin to develop brown spots and die off.

I have a huge barbeque area in my garden that was 3 metres high, I have cut it down drilled the roots and have been applying round up for nearly a year, although this is 20 times as much Ivy as you have. If any roots pop up fresh leaves mix some detergent into the herbicide as a wetting agent, Ivy leaves are waxy so the weedkiller has trouble penetrating. Good luck with it, I hate the stuff.
Patrizia
Original Author
4 years ago
Hi Jonathan - thanks for the response! We've been advised to take it up as if it remains planning will be delayed (the tree presevation departement get involved apparently!) So taking it down is our hope to by-pass that dealy :)

Hi Chris - thanks so much for the info, that's really helpful. We'll attack it this weekend and then continue to montor and top up. It really is a huge pain. Hoping you're almost at the end of your Ivy crusade! :)

Removing ivy - any advice please

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rachelmidlands

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Removing ivy - any advice please

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