Eradicating Ivy - Knowledgebase Question

Fontana, CA (Zone 8B)
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Question by jawas
October 3, 2006
How do I get rid of ivy?


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Answer from NGA
October 3, 2006
I?m often asked for tips on the best method to attack English ivy. Manually ripping it out is one of my recommended techniques. It is sweaty and laborious but it is often the only way to proceed when ivy runs close to ornamental plants. It is also surprisingly fast since a long length of vine can come out with a single heave.

Herbicides like glyphosate (Roundup), glufosinate (Finale), triclopyr (Brush B Gon) and diquat (Spectracide Grass & Weed Killer) will kill English ivy but the process is slow. Ivy?s leathery leaves and frequent roots aid in its survival from chemical attack. I use chemicals to maintain an ivy-free swath between my azaleas and another neighbor's viney plot, but I haven't had much success in killing a stand of ivy with it. Instead, I dig and pull and then I spray the bare stems with herbicide. When new leaves emerge a few weeks later hit them hard with one of the herbicides mentioned above.

Best wishes with your project!

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