While English ivy makes for a stunning ground cover, it can cause a lot of damage to gardens and properties.
Ivy tends to grow on the ground until it finds a suitable surface to climb – at this point, a surprisingly complicated process kicks into action.
Once the plant comes into contact with the surface it will climb, and the roots change shape to fit the surface.
At this point, the roots aim to expand outwards as much as possible, increasing their contact with the surface.
A glue-like substance is then released, and small hairs on the root fit into tiny holes on the surface.
Only when they dry out can they scrunch up and lock themselves firmly into the crevice.
To get rid of the plant, Ben McInnerney, a certified gardening expert and founder of GoTreeQuotes has shared his three most effective methods for the task.
He claimed that the number one method is always manual removal, which involves pulling the plant out.
Ben said: “This is one of the easiest and most effective methods for getting rid of English ivy.
“All you have to do is pull the ivy from the ground up and try to get as much of the root as possible.”
When removing the plant manually, make sure to remove as much of the plant, both stems and roots, as possible as it can regrow from stem and root pieces left in the ground.
For the “best results”, gardeners should aim to do this every time they see new growth.
The second option is to prune English ivy down. The garden expert said that this method is another “popular and easy way” to get rid of ivy.
For this, Ben instructs simply to get a pair of regular or gardening scissors and cut the ivy vines at the base of the stem.
He added: “Pruning back your English ivy regularly can prevent it from growing further.”
The third and final option, which should only be used as a last resort, is herbicides.
Ben said: “If you aren’t able to control your ivy with pruning or cutting, you can try using natural herbicides.
“However, make sure to look for herbicides with glyphosate or triclopyr since these ingredients are incredibly effective against English ivy.”
