Ivy’s resilience and lush growth make killing the plant quite a tricky task – but not an impossible one.
In need of removing English ivy, gardening enthusiast Brittany Bailey, otherwise known as Pretty Hand Girl took to YouTube to share the “easiest way to get rid of English ivy forever”.
She said: “This is truly the easiest and most effective way to get rid of English ivy forever.”
Brittany started by explaining that English ivy is “one of the biggest nuisance plants” in her garden as it “grows out of control”.
She noted that English ivy “chokes trees, covers the grown and keeps growing” which makes it the “perfect hiding place for rodents”.
The expert claimed that with her ivy removal method, you don’t need to break your back by pulling it out by hand. Instead her method is “the quickest and most effective way” to get rid of the plant.
Brittany starts by putting on protective clothing, safety glasses and gloves. She then claimed that the “key to knocking out English ivy is to first cut or score the vines”. The “quickest way” to do that is to use a string trimmer, like this one from B&Q that retails for £37.
Or if you have a flat area with no rocks, dips or large hazards, you can use a lawnmower like this one from B&Q which retails for £59 currently.
For ivy that has grown up a tree, cut the vines around the trunk using garden loopers, like these that retail for £8.99 from Gardening Express, then pull back the ivy several feet away from the tree making sure to cut any vines that are running over the tree roots.
Resist the urge to pull the vines off the tree as this may damage the tree. Eventually, they’ll die and release their hold.
Brittany noted that the next step is to use a chemical weed killer, but for those who want to keep down the natural route, she suggests using white vinegar.
She said: “Alternatively you can use a natural spray by filling a garden sprayer with white vinegar and dish soap. The soap helps the vinegar stick to the ivy. Just be careful not to spray the mixture near any plants you want to keep.”
When applying this solution, Brittany claimed that it’s best to use it on a date when it’s sunny and no rain is forecasted for a day or two later.
