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English ivy can look charming in the wild but can be a troublesome weed in gardens as it is incredibly tough to kill and spreads very quickly.
If left unchecked, the stubborn ivy vines will cling tightly to fences, trees or even buildings which will put stress on the structure and likely lead to mould as it also traps moisture.
Ivy has extensive roots which makes it tricky to get rid of, but luckily one woman has discovered there is an easy way to kill English ivy without spending money or using harsh chemicals.
One frustrated gardener named Claire took to the Mrs Hinch Cleaning fan page to ask the best way to kill off this pesky plant for good.
Claire wrote: “Not really about cleaning but does anyone know how to remove ivy from a brick wall?”
The post quickly received many responses, with many gardeners sharing that the best way to kill ivy is to cut the branches at the roots before pulling away as it will not be able to grow back.
One gardener wrote: “Just cut it off at the bottom, wait a week or so for it to die off then it should easily pull off.” Another person commented: “Cut it at the bottom and it will die, then pull it off. Good luck.”
Cutting off the vines at the root of ivy makes it much easier to remove as it will quickly dehydrate the plant and stop it from spreading.
Dead vines are also less likely to fall while you pull them off as they cannot cling effectively to surfaces, so cleaning them up is much safer and less time-consuming.
A user named Janette gave some extra gardening tips to make sure you can remove all the ivy without any trouble.
Janette said: “Use secateurs to cut all the ivy stems at the base. Some of it should come away if you pull it. Try to get as much of the ivy off, as you can, as when it dries out it is more difficult to remove.
“You then may need to use a wire brush to get it off when it is dry and dead as it still is attached fast. You need to then dig out the roots with a spade.”
Once you have removed as many of the vines as possible then make sure to clean up any ivy pieces from the ground and place in your bin, otherwise, it will likely come back.
Janette added: “Any bit of ivy left on top of the ground or on the surface of the ground will regrow. You may need several attempts, to clear it. It is a lot of work but worth it in the end.”
