Ivy is very popular with many gardeners because it is a wonderful ground cover for shady corners. It can also be used to green facades and create privacy hedges. For other gardeners, ivy is a real weed that is difficult to remove from the garden.
How do I permanently remove ivy weeds?
To permanently remove ivy weeds, cut off shoots, dig up roots, and remove new cuttings immediately. Dispose of ivy according to local regulations. Avoid glyphosate as it is toxic and will not permanently eliminate ivy.
Be careful when choosing a location
Think carefully about whether you want ivy in your garden. The climbing plant is very robust and stubborn and can only be destroyed with a lot of effort.
When you plant ivy, you need to cut it back regularly and pull offshoots from the ground. Otherwise there is a risk that it will quickly overgrow the garden like a weed.
Place ivy at some distance from house walls, as the roots can cause damage to the facade. Since ivy also snakes its way up trees, they can actually be smothered by the plant.
Destroy ivy permanently
If you want to remove ivy as a ground cover or climbing plant, cut off the shoots at the edge and work your way through the entire area.
Get even the smallest root residues out of the ground with a digging fork (€139.00 on Amazon), as new offshoots form from the roots.
Digging up ivy is the only effective way to permanently remove it. Then check again and again to see whether new plants have developed. You have to tear these out straight away.
How to properly dispose of ivy
Disposing of large amounts of ivy is not easy. You should not throw the climbing plant onto the compost, especially not if it is the old form that bears fruit.
Give the ivy remains to the municipality's green waste collection facility. Some cities provide collection points for green waste.
If you want to dispose of smaller amounts of ivy, let the cuttings dry thoroughly before throwing them into the compost. Just remember that ivy is poisonous and can pose a real danger to children and pets.
Tip
Glyphosate Roundup is often recommended for removing ivy from the garden. Unfortunately, how toxic the weed killer is for soil and groundwater is underestimated. Additionally, Roundup does not permanently destroy ivy.
