English ivy is a beautiful winding plant that can give gardens a fairy tale look, but if not maintained it can quickly become uncontrollable and take over your property.
What makes English ivy such a troublesome plant is that it can destroy the structure of the fence, wall or even tree it is climbing on which can lead to costly repairs as well as being unsafe.
A big reason many gardeners opt to get rid of English ivy is that it is aggressive and can smother plants as well as being a haven for many flower-destroying pests such as snails or even rats.
However, the gardening experts at Drip Works have shared that the best way to get rid of this pesky plant is to use a natural but very effective homemade solution.
They said: “If you want an ivy-free garden wall, this is an effective and natural way to achieve it. The combination of apple cider vinegar, salt, and dish soap has been proven to be the best solution to kill ivy.”
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which damages plant tissue and salt dehydrates the plant to quickly kill any unwanted vegetation.
However, both apple cider vinegar and salt can have trouble penetrating leaves and reaching the root of a plant to completely kill it off which is why washing up liquid is so useful.
Washing up liquid contains surfactants which break down the tension of water, which means it can easily break down the waxy coating on leaves so the solution can enter the English ivy to kill it.
How to kill English ivy using this simple homemade solution
To begin, mix one gallon of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of salt and one ounce of washing-up liquid into an empty spray bottle.
Next, spray a generous amount of the homemade solution of the ivy. Make sure to always wear gardening gloves, long sleeves and boots when removing English ivy for protection as it can contain pests and its sap can cause skin irritation.
Keep spraying the English ivy and check on it for five days minimum before cutting away any vines. After the time is up the English ivy should be completely dead.
To remove the English ivy, cut any vines near the base of a tree or the surface they are hanging from. Use hand clippers for smaller vines and a handsaw or loppers for larger vines.
Be careful and take your time when cutting to make sure nothing falls unexpectedly. Once you are done cutting begin carefully peeling the vines one at a time.
Next, you will likely need a shovel to remove the roots of the vines by digging them out and pulling them upwards. Wrap the vines around your hand and pull and they should easily come away.
English ivy can be tricky to get rid of but using this simple homemade solution can help make it much easier to remove so you do not have to worry about this bothersome vine growing in your garden again.