| I have 7 established hybrkid tea roses growing along the side of my house. The bed is also planted with English ivy, which looks beautiful but is invasive. Will the ivy eventually weaken or damage the roses? |
| There is always a risk of any groundcover outcompeting the roses for water and nutrients. As long as you are aware of this and compensate for it by watering and fertilizing frequently, you may be OK. Also, be sure to pull the ivy back from the rose canes, and also keep it from growing up into and over the roses. My only other concern would be that the ivy will make it difficult to rake up and remove any diseased rose foliage -- and this task is important in minimizing rose foliage problems. |
