It has consumed my life. I can't escape it. I write this from my office carved out of the ivy mountain I am trapped in. Please send help. It grows more powerful every day. I haven't seen the sun in a year.
Thank you for this video. I am going out, right NOW, to rid my front yard of my mistake. I planted several small clumps in my front yard a few tears back for an ornamental esthetic. I promised myself that I would maintain and control it in those specific areas. Yeah, right. I now know better. Thanks for the inspiration.
Now that makes me happy. The best way to remove English Ivy is to not plant. Glad you caught it while it was still young. You saved a lot of time in the long run. Thanks for the feedback.
2019 I have smothered large areas in our woods over the winter by 1. Covering the ivy, as is (leave and vines intact) with newspaper and/or cardboard. 2. Wet that down with water via a hose or sprinkling can. 3. Covering that with fall leaves raked from my yard. (about 3" thick) 4. By spring all that stuff is deteriorated and Ivy gone EXCEPT a few 3" spots around trees or where deer have run across my creation ( Ugg!). Also, woodland Spring flowers did come up. I tried using clorox water and then round up this Fall on these 3" spots. It is suppose to strip off the waxy coating on the leaves allowing Round up to be absorbed. Did NOT work. So I cut them to the ground and covered that (the root) with a paper plate with a rock on top of that. Will update in spring. Note: The mowing off the leaves was interesting BUT You must bag ALL OF THOSE LEAVES as well as ANY VINES in bags in plastic bags and keep them there until they are very very dead. NOTE: If you pull up all those vines weed seeds that have been dormant in the woodland dirt will sprout thus choking out all the spring native woodland flowers) homeguides.sfgate.com/secret-killing-english-ivy-76202.html
Thanks for sharing Daisy. I haven’t tried Clorox myself, but would like to know how it turns out. I do think weeds in the woods would at least be closer to native, perhaps. Thanks for watching.
I have a small corner patch and Im already dying haha thank you so much for showing me that its possible to get it all out. I want to plant flowers where my patch is.
I seem to have spent half my life getting rid of it and still it keeps coming up walls, around trees - we got rid of 40 year old massive vines up those - my son loved pulling down! and now a path of "soil" (i.e. area totally infested with it right down for ages. I don't tihnk we could ever get rid of every bit of root but I'll try
Use a danforth type boat anchor (the ones with the two flukes). Bury the flukes into the ivy patch and attach the anchor to a chain and electric winch. Then haul up the entire mat of ivy in big strips.
We’re tearing out ivy in a place that we want to put raised beds in. So far, we used a weed eater in the top layer, mowed the roots down, raked up what we could, spent hours pulled roots and used a rototiller to break up the soil. We’ve raked again and spent many more hours pulling roots, but there are still many roots left. If we cover the soil with landscaping fabric, and also out cardboard in the bottom of our raised beds, do you think we’ll be ok?
Wow! You've fought a battle. I think you'll be fine with just the cardboard under your beds. The landscape fabric would be redundant, but you could use that in the paths between the beds. With the cardboard and 6-10 inches of soil, most ivy sprouting back will come to the sides of the beds. You can rip it out. The same goes for any making it to the top of the beds. Now that you've done the hard work, it should be more manageable. Happy gardening.
Thanks for the video! We are tackling the ivy that has crept into the natural area of our yard from neighboring yards. I'm using your method, but with pruners because we have an electric lawn mower which isn't powerful enough. After we clear it from the yard, other than constant vigil, do you have any recommendations to keep it out of our yard? Will monthly walking of the fence and pulling the invaders be enough?
Hi Robin. Glad to hear you are tackling the ivy. Your monthly ivy patrol might be the best method to keep it at bay. Monthly ought to be a good interval to test. Regarding your mower, you could try using it tilted back on the back wheels for a starting cut. The lower it down for a second pass. Thank you for watching. Good luck with the battle.
+Uni Sol indeed! English ivy employs the same strategy when it takes over our backyards and houses. I say use their strategy against them. :-) thank you for watching.
I think it is better to leave it relatively bare so you can see any sprouts. Covering the are with mulch would allow the vines to become more established before you see them. Unless you are worried about erosion...then a layer of mulch would make sense. Thanks for watching.
Save yourself some work and get the job done more efficiently. Blast it away with a propane brush burner. Hit it hard, and really toast and char the vines. Go over the area more than once. Then pull the vines out. But watch for the "sprigs" to come back up and pull them out, or re-burn the area. No chemicals - so other plants can be planted.
I hope I don't sound like Tim the tool man but I used a Home Depot Bobcat and completely stripped off a few inches of that mess. My backyard was worse than yours. I just did it last week so I don't know what to expect come spring but it's less laborious... great vid!
+Zteve W Cool! When you've got a big problem like that, you gotta go big. I'm always in favor of a mechanical solution like mowing and pulling..or renting the big cat versus using chemicals. I'm guessing you won't see much come Spring, given that the roots don't go super deep, but always good to give it a check and make sure the stuff is gone. Congrats on tackling your ivy. Thanks for commenting.
This is a great idea! My ivy has been growing prob for 15 years at a minimum. I'm ready to clear my land and using a bob cat will be the most efficient. The roots on some of my old ivy is hairy and thick.
hi tom, great videos! i am wondering if you've ever tried to eradicate bermuda grass or if you know of others who have...and how? it's soooo tenacious. thanks!
Thank you! My previous lawn was Bermuda grass and it was my mission to keep that stuff under control. It is so hard to keep it out landscaping beds. The only way I had measured success was a mechanical solution, in other words, digging it out. I did have some success with Round Up and removing large areas of grass and making it into landscaping beds. Of course, my ultimate solution for bermuda grass was to sell the house. :-) I won't be planting Bermuda at my new house. BTW, here is a channel of videos I'm doing as we build: ua-cam.com/channels/gS-xV6s1IgyuTWW4IxHvzQ.html
I 'll tell you the easiest way and it's also the safest for you and the environment. you should be able to find a machine at one of your local machinery rental places. The machine has a wide long blade that penetrates the ground and how deep it goes is up to you. Just set the depth then put it in gear then guide it to where you need it to go, kinda like what you would do with a garden tiller. Once you do a long straight line shut the machine down and walk over to the beginning of the straight line then kneel down and begin to roll up the layer of grass you just cut kinda like your rolling up a rug. Good luck
Thanks for the video. I let my backyard go a wee bit wild. The ivy, over the years, has slowly encroached on the grass. Wish me luck in this year's offensive! Most of my ivy is not thick sheets like you show, though, as I do mow the yard. However, small vines run under the grass as it attempts to choke it out. Are there any videos for those situations? Or is your recommendation to go down to bare soil and start from there?
You’re welcome. No video on your specific issue, but here is an idea. Slide a pitchfork through the grass with tines tilted slightly up to catch the vines but not the ground. An iron rake might also work well to start pulling up the vines, which can be tugged out gently enough that they don’t break. Good luck with your eradication efforts.
@@GreenShortzDIY Thank you! I'll try the iron rake approach first. Am I correct in assuming that just after a rain is the best time to pull up most plants, including English Ivy? Or is English Ivy more likely to break when wet? [I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case]
I viewed your DYI video about removal of English ivy from trees where you used salt, duct tape and water. Couple of years ago my grandson and I worked with vigor to eradicate tree-eating wisteria in the back yard. We used Roundup and pulling up every vine we could reach. With the removal of the wisteria up to the back fence, there was the English ivy! My property line goes beyond the fence to the small stream between my property and a commercial enterprise which has a tall wooden fence. So, there is a sloped wildish area between the two fences. I want to get rid of the ivy, but I don't want to use Roundup again for many reasons, not the least of which is the wildlife. I also do not have the luxury of having my grandson for help. Plus, I am 75 years old, and getting less and less able to do this without help. Would the views I have seen using salt/vinegar/dish soap sprayed onto the offending ivy work? If not, then what?
Hi Rita, Have you considered hiring some goats? Not sure where you are, but there are services in my area where someone brings in their goats for 2-3 weeks and they eat the ivy. They also fertilize the ground at the same time. :-)
@@GreenShortzDIY Thanks for your reply. No, I had not thought of goats, & I will pursue that thought. However, I live within city limits, and have less than one acre, so not at all sure that will work. Thanks again.
@@GreenShortzDIY Is it okay to mow or weedeat English Ivy? I have heard that doing so would spread seeds all across your lawn that would germinate and create a worse situation.
We just bought a house with a lot of this horrible growth. I love your method of getting rid of it. We are too old to do any of this though. We may hire some goats! Lol
I’ve got a backyard full of invasive Chinese jasmine (and green briars).. The roots are tough or impossible to pull out by hand.. So all I can think to do is rent a skid steer and scrape them off. Any other ideas?
You could try tarping it until it dies back. Or rent some goats. :-) I bet you can find someone local who does that. Might be cheaper than a skid steer. Plus the fertilizer is free. Hope this helps.
Eww, I like the idea of mowing it down to get to the bottom layer! This was a big help to me to get our ivy under control! Yes!! I love your fast forwarding lol. Question: we're not allowed to burn in our area so what would you suggest to do to make sure the ivy is dead besides spaying something like round-up on it after it's been pulled? Thanks😊
Hi Tresa. If you’ve got a tarp, put the ivy on top of it, then fold over half of the tarp to cover it as well. Weigh down the edges with a few stones or bricks. No soil contact, no rain or sunlight...it should be crispy in no time (maybe a month or two). Thanks for watching.
Hi Stephanie. I can’t remember the timeline. I think it’s been over 7 years since I made that video. :-) I may have done the cutting one day and the burning the next. Thank you for watching.
I say get after it, Frankie! With a whole yard covered, you’ve got your work cut out for you. I suggest attacking the ivy in sections. If you’re going to use the mower method, start by cutting a grid in the ivy. Then tackle the grid, one square at a time. The most important step, is to start. Go for it! :-)
The key is persistence. Once you get the bulk of it out of the way, it's easier to catch any stragglers that may pop up from time to time. No, it's not going to get rid of 100% of the ivy when you mow, cut the vines, and pull them up. You're just getting the bulk of it and it won't be a tangled, intimidating, run to riot mess that you have now.
I would substitute a brush cutter for the lawnmower. I also don’t burn my ivy. I let it decompose. It took a lot of nutrients out of the ground. I want it to be replenished. Otherwise good vid.
I too am in Ga with a massive Ivy problem 😩😩😩 Going to try the mow and remove method! Once the soil is exposed with sprigs pulled out, do you think it’s safe to plant grass over the areas where the ivy was?
After you remove the ivy and as much sprigs as possible is it ok to plant a small tree? A dwarf tree? Something like a dwarf crape Myrtle? Thanks in advance.
I'm working on removing ivy as well. It's been growing up the trees for over 20 years. I cleared 11 trees this past winter and have about 25 more to do. A little at a time is how I work. Has anyone tried brush killer in conjunction with Greenshortz methods?
I started clearing an area taking over my house exactly the way you did it. I stopped to look on YT for an easier way. Guess not. Just have to do smaller areas at a time. It’s growing through the air vents into the crawl space area and up through the siding on the house. Disaster.
I added mulch to a flower bed, that I share with a neighbor, I keep pulling the ivy down from the bushes that it keeps attacking. I have an area that I'll need to start on my other neighbors side of the fence and kill it before it becomes a bigger mess then it is right now. Thankfully, all my neighbors are old and these are summer cabins, and no one takes care of their lawn except us so a killing I will go good bye Ivy...
There is that potential. I was careful to walk the area of english ivy I was going mow to check for larger sticks, larger vines or rocks. The nature of the ivy is cover an area uniformly. Thick vines generally happen when the ivy climbs trees. But, the fact that the ivy hides the ground underneath it, means there could be stuff there that might damage your mower. A quick check should prevent any damage. Boots are a must there, given that they ivy might be hiding creatures too. Thanks for your comment.
I used an (AC) electric mower on my invaded area. To reduce the load on its mower, I set it as high as it would go--about 3 inches. That was enough to get most of the leaves and expose the stems.
So we should call it Irish Ivy then, right? ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ and in Ireland it has native pests that help keep it in check, yes? Do you know what these pests are? I’m curious to know. Thanks for watching.
Trying to clear the Ivy in my yard and I developed a server rash from it and had to go to urgent care where they proscribed a steroid in a pill form to get rid of it.
+Sarah Barbour ha. I’ve thought about goats. I’m that particular yard was at a Home I was renting. So, my efforts were more for demonstration purposes. At my new permanent residence, the residual English ivy from an old homestead will be fully eradicated. :-)
+Zach Heckard awesome! It is a lot cheaper and better for the environment to remove English ivy this way. It does require some ongoing upkeep, but only on a yearly basis. Thanks for watching.
This is old so I hope you still see this and respond! Our entire side yard is like this. There is also POISON ivy mixed in with it (I'm in SC). It is mostly English ivy and none of the poison ivy has leaves on it right now. I understand the oil is still contained in the dormant vines. Do you think it would be ok to just pull it all up together and burn it?? A second question: is there something else we could plant in this area to help prevent erosion (our yard is sloped)? Would grass grow under a heavily wooded area like that?
Hi Rachel. You can pull it up, but I’d avoid burning it if you know there is poison ivy in the mix. You can pile it on a tarp and let it get crispy, then compost it. As an alternative ground cover in this shaded area, you cold look for a forest grass. They are tall and decorative...not a turf grass. I think it’s pretty, but it may not be your taste. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Yea, ivy is a bitch, but if you've got it bad then you always have something to do on a sunny day, and it can be really satisfying to pull it up if you're in a murderous mood.
93Crusher I’m pretty sure English Ivy is evergreen in any climate it can survive in. So, I think any time is a good time to get after it. Winter might be ideal, since bugs and snakes would more dormant. Good luck with your onslaught! Thanks for watching.
English Ivy tea, extract and baths have quite a few health benefits. Careful dosage and preparation is required but do the research on its beneficial properties.
Why’d you mention the damn snakes!? Jesus. Looks like a back breaker. There’s got to be a faster way. Clearing a few small patches at a time, Continuous Monitoring etc etc. Can you put asphalt on top of it?
Snakes love ivy. :-) Here in Georgia that includes copperheads. Another reason to get rid of it. If you look at this whole back yard, this is a small patch. lol. And yes, asphalt is a great solution. Thanks for watching, sorry about the nightmares. :-)
I just hate this fuc*ing plant I bought a house recently and the previous owners didn't care.. I had to remove it from walls that are 3m tall and 10m long! It got over other trees and plants, killing everything. I used big cutting scissors, like the one for metal chains It is hard work and the worst thing is that afterwards you cut it off you need throw it somewhere I had a full 13m3 truck, to much to burn it
@@Bishopcolle Round Up ivy Concentrate double the dose. Do not mow it just cut it in spots. Spray in a round up sprayer. Cut it off trees and pull it back and spray that too. In the tree it will just die separated from roots. Same with fences and buildings, like my shed.
about halfway through the job I noticed you added a tool that hadn't been included in your list. Jobs like this always go easier with a helper... ;)
It has consumed my life. I can't escape it. I write this from my office carved out of the ivy mountain I am trapped in. Please send help. It grows more powerful every day. I haven't seen the sun in a year.
I hope it's not too late. Don't give up. This too shall pass. Fight fire with fire. Thanks for watching. :-)
Yuuuuuuppppp
This is hilarious Frozti:) Yes English Ivy is persistent and invasive!
@@jhors7777
But so pretty and green all year long.
😭
Thank you for this video. I am going out, right NOW, to rid my front yard of my mistake. I planted several small clumps in my front yard a few tears back for an ornamental esthetic. I promised myself that I would maintain and control it in those specific areas. Yeah, right. I now know better. Thanks for the inspiration.
Now that makes me happy. The best way to remove English Ivy is to not plant. Glad you caught it while it was still young. You saved a lot of time in the long run. Thanks for the feedback.
Stop planting invasive exotic species! Plant native instead.
I planted the ivy 25 years ago in a contained shady garden. It saved me yearsof weeding. But I just retired...time to take it out. Great video
This is the push I needed to take on a section of my garden that’s all ground Ivy, great video, thank you
Awesome! Glad I could help. More power to ya!
Forego the pruners for cutting the vines, grab a machete.
Thank you for giving me some hope against battling the Ivy! :)
+Sherbet Pip you can win the battle! The only way to keep English Ivy in check is regular pruning. Thanks for watching.
Great tips. I have a fairly large area in my backyard I'd like to remove. It's going to be a lot of work, but good to see that it's not impossible!
Saif Madar were you able to get it completed?
Thank you!!!! Love the rope swing ending! :-)
Very well done video. Short, packed with information, and actually simple. Thank you!
Huge undertaking, fantastic results!
Thanks for the encouragement. :-)
2019 I have smothered large areas in our woods over the winter by
1. Covering the ivy, as is (leave and vines intact) with newspaper and/or cardboard.
2. Wet that down with water via a hose or sprinkling can.
3. Covering that with fall leaves raked from my yard. (about 3" thick)
4. By spring all that stuff is deteriorated and Ivy gone EXCEPT a few 3" spots around trees or where deer have run across my creation ( Ugg!). Also, woodland Spring flowers did come up.
I tried using clorox water and then round up this Fall on these 3" spots. It is suppose to strip off the waxy coating on the leaves allowing Round up to be absorbed. Did NOT work. So I cut them to the ground and covered that (the root) with a paper plate with a rock on top of that.
Will update in spring.
Note: The mowing off the leaves was interesting BUT You must bag ALL OF THOSE LEAVES as well as ANY VINES in bags in plastic bags and keep them there until they are very very dead.
NOTE: If you pull up all those vines weed seeds that have been dormant in the woodland dirt will sprout thus choking out all the spring native woodland flowers)
homeguides.sfgate.com/secret-killing-english-ivy-76202.html
Thanks for sharing Daisy. I haven’t tried Clorox myself, but would like to know how it turns out. I do think weeds in the woods would at least be closer to native, perhaps. Thanks for watching.
Awesome! Thank you for this!
Your absolutely right this takes quite a bit!! Excellent tips👍
+Jubes26 Thank you for watching. Are you in battle with English Ivy? Winning? :-)
+GreenShortz DIY just killed off one flower bed this yr after 4 years. have about 4 more beds to go. so most definitely! :)
Awesome! It takes a concerted effort for sure, but it is nice to see the results. English Ivy...be gone. :-)
I have a small corner patch and Im already dying haha thank you so much for showing me that its possible to get it all out. I want to plant flowers where my patch is.
You can use english ivy for weaving baskets and other things such as shelter roofing
I seem to have spent half my life getting rid of it and still it keeps coming up walls, around trees - we got rid of 40 year old massive vines up those - my son loved pulling down! and now a path of "soil" (i.e. area totally infested with it right down for ages. I don't tihnk we could ever get rid of every bit of root but I'll try
Hi Jane. Let me know how it goes. Thanks for watching.
This was great work very efficient and practical only issue for me is I would prefer to do this in the winter to avoid snakes,wasp nest and hornets
Use a danforth type boat anchor (the ones with the two flukes). Bury the flukes into the ivy patch and attach the anchor to a chain and electric winch. Then haul up the entire mat of ivy in big strips.
Did you do that?
We’re tearing out ivy in a place that we want to put raised beds in. So far, we used a weed eater in the top layer, mowed the roots down, raked up what we could, spent hours pulled roots and used a rototiller to break up the soil. We’ve raked again and spent many more hours pulling roots, but there are still many roots left. If we cover the soil with landscaping fabric, and also out cardboard in the bottom of our raised beds, do you think we’ll be ok?
Wow! You've fought a battle. I think you'll be fine with just the cardboard under your beds. The landscape fabric would be redundant, but you could use that in the paths between the beds. With the cardboard and 6-10 inches of soil, most ivy sprouting back will come to the sides of the beds. You can rip it out. The same goes for any making it to the top of the beds. Now that you've done the hard work, it should be more manageable. Happy gardening.
I just started an ivy job and I wish it was this easy 😅 the place I'm at is extremely deep rooted
this was so helpful thank-you so much
+Pompoustoast563 Thanks for letting me know. Glad it was helpful in getting after that English Ivy! :-)
Wow!!! Thank you so much! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for the video! We are tackling the ivy that has crept into the natural area of our yard from neighboring yards. I'm using your method, but with pruners because we have an electric lawn mower which isn't powerful enough. After we clear it from the yard, other than constant vigil, do you have any recommendations to keep it out of our yard? Will monthly walking of the fence and pulling the invaders be enough?
Hi Robin. Glad to hear you are tackling the ivy. Your monthly ivy patrol might be the best method to keep it at bay. Monthly ought to be a good interval to test. Regarding your mower, you could try using it tilted back on the back wheels for a starting cut. The lower it down for a second pass. Thank you for watching. Good luck with the battle.
Like you say:" Devide and Conquer" Excellent advice to remove this invasive especie
+Uni Sol indeed! English ivy employs the same strategy when it takes over our backyards and houses. I say use their strategy against them. :-) thank you for watching.
where can I get such a container to burn the ivy I dug up. I have a huge area I need to conquer the battle .
So satisfying to watch
Thanks Janeil. It was satisfying to do it too. :-) Thanks for watching.
How long did this take you for this one patch?
I have about twice this size in my back yard and would like to remove it and put down grass.
It was probably an hour or two of work. Making a video always makes thing take longer. Tackle that ivy. :-) Thanks for watching.
Will covering the newly cleared area with mulch (after pulling out the English Ivy vines) help for them not to grow back and invade?
I think it is better to leave it relatively bare so you can see any sprouts. Covering the are with mulch would allow the vines to become more established before you see them. Unless you are worried about erosion...then a layer of mulch would make sense. Thanks for watching.
So motivated to go out and get after the ivy. Then you had to mention snakes. EW, ICK, BLEH!
Oh boy. I have a lot of work ahead of me.
One chunk at a time. It will be worth the effort. Thank you for watching.
Save yourself some work and get the job done more efficiently. Blast it away with a propane brush burner. Hit it hard, and really toast and char the vines. Go over the area more than once. Then pull the vines out. But watch for the "sprigs" to come back up and pull them out, or re-burn the area. No chemicals - so other plants can be planted.
I hope I don't sound like Tim the tool man but I used a Home Depot Bobcat and completely stripped off a few inches of that mess. My backyard was worse than yours. I just did it last week so I don't know what to expect come spring but it's less laborious... great vid!
+Zteve W Cool! When you've got a big problem like that, you gotta go big. I'm always in favor of a mechanical solution like mowing and pulling..or renting the big cat versus using chemicals. I'm guessing you won't see much come Spring, given that the roots don't go super deep, but always good to give it a check and make sure the stuff is gone. Congrats on tackling your ivy. Thanks for commenting.
This is a great idea! My ivy has been growing prob for 15 years at a minimum. I'm ready to clear my land and using a bob cat will be the most efficient. The roots on some of my old ivy is hairy and thick.
what do you suggest if the english ivy (what I don't want) is taking over the asiatic jasmine (what I wish to keep)?
Kill them both. They’re both invasive exotic weeds that do damage to native ecosystems. Plant native instead.
Thank you very much for this very clear video. Greetings from Algeria :-)
Hello Algeria! Thank you for watching.
hi tom, great videos!
i am wondering if you've ever tried to eradicate bermuda grass or if you know of others who have...and how? it's soooo tenacious.
thanks!
Thank you! My previous lawn was Bermuda grass and it was my mission to keep that stuff under control. It is so hard to keep it out landscaping beds. The only way I had measured success was a mechanical solution, in other words, digging it out. I did have some success with Round Up and removing large areas of grass and making it into landscaping beds. Of course, my ultimate solution for bermuda grass was to sell the house. :-) I won't be planting Bermuda at my new house. BTW, here is a channel of videos I'm doing as we build: ua-cam.com/channels/gS-xV6s1IgyuTWW4IxHvzQ.html
I 'll tell you the easiest way and it's also the safest for you and the environment. you should be able to find a machine at one of your local machinery rental places. The machine has a wide long blade that penetrates the ground and how deep it goes is up to you. Just set the depth then put it in gear then guide it to where you need it to go, kinda like what you would do with a garden tiller. Once you do a long straight line shut the machine down and walk over to the beginning of the straight line then kneel down and begin to roll up the layer of grass you just cut kinda like your rolling up a rug. Good luck
should I add highly concentrated salt water over the soil that has been cleared to prevent more growth?
No. I think that would be harmful to the soil. Just wait to see if any sprigs grown back and pull them by hand. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the video. I let my backyard go a wee bit wild. The ivy, over the years, has slowly encroached on the grass. Wish me luck in this year's offensive! Most of my ivy is not thick sheets like you show, though, as I do mow the yard. However, small vines run under the grass as it attempts to choke it out. Are there any videos for those situations? Or is your recommendation to go down to bare soil and start from there?
You’re welcome. No video on your specific issue, but here is an idea. Slide a pitchfork through the grass with tines tilted slightly up to catch the vines but not the ground. An iron rake might also work well to start pulling up the vines, which can be tugged out gently enough that they don’t break. Good luck with your eradication efforts.
@@GreenShortzDIY Thank you! I'll try the iron rake approach first.
Am I correct in assuming that just after a rain is the best time to pull up most plants, including English Ivy? Or is English Ivy more likely to break when wet? [I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case]
My guess would be the softer ground after the rain would help the roots release more easily.
I viewed your DYI video about removal of English ivy from trees where you used salt, duct tape and water. Couple of years ago my grandson and I worked with vigor to eradicate tree-eating wisteria in the back yard. We used Roundup and pulling up every vine we could reach. With the removal of the wisteria up to the back fence, there was the English ivy! My property line goes beyond the fence to the small stream between my property and a commercial enterprise which has a tall wooden fence. So, there is a sloped wildish area between the two fences. I want to get rid of the ivy, but I don't want to use Roundup again for many reasons, not the least of which is the wildlife. I also do not have the luxury of having my grandson for help. Plus, I am 75 years old, and getting less and less able to do this without help. Would the views I have seen using salt/vinegar/dish soap sprayed onto the offending ivy work? If not, then what?
Hi Rita, Have you considered hiring some goats? Not sure where you are, but there are services in my area where someone brings in their goats for 2-3 weeks and they eat the ivy. They also fertilize the ground at the same time. :-)
@@GreenShortzDIY Thanks for your reply. No, I had not thought of goats, & I will pursue that thought. However, I live within city limits, and have less than one acre, so not at all sure that will work. Thanks again.
Lawnmower is a fabulous idea 💡. Thank You
Thanks Doug! Thank you for watching.
@@GreenShortzDIY Is it okay to mow or weedeat English Ivy? I have heard that doing so would spread seeds all across your lawn that would germinate and create a worse situation.
john hamilton Just mow it. It’s not brain surgery or rocket science.
john hamilton Jesus
I did it the hard way... but it works with patience... i was thinking of using a tiller for the next job, but i don't think that will work.
question: can it be composted? or trash only?
got a .75 acre back yard and half of it is covered in woody vines. I plan to reclaim 80% of my yard back this summer!
We just bought a house with a lot of this horrible growth. I love your method of getting rid of it. We are too old to do any of this though. We may hire some goats! Lol
Hi Nancy! Goats are a great solution. Ivy removed plus free fertilizer. ;-) Thank you for watching.
I’ve got a backyard full of invasive Chinese jasmine (and green briars).. The roots are tough or impossible to pull out by hand.. So all I can think to do is rent a skid steer and scrape them off. Any other ideas?
You could try tarping it until it dies back. Or rent some goats. :-) I bet you can find someone local who does that. Might be cheaper than a skid steer. Plus the fertilizer is free. Hope this helps.
My concern with mowing the ivy is that won’t all the little pieces that you miss then grow?
Eww, I like the idea of mowing it down to get to the bottom layer! This was a big help to me to get our ivy under control! Yes!! I love your fast forwarding lol. Question: we're not allowed to burn in our area so what would you suggest to do to make sure the ivy is dead besides spaying something like round-up on it after it's been pulled? Thanks😊
Hi Tresa. If you’ve got a tarp, put the ivy on top of it, then fold over half of the tarp to cover it as well. Weigh down the edges with a few stones or bricks. No soil contact, no rain or sunlight...it should be crispy in no time (maybe a month or two). Thanks for watching.
such a satisfying job but, mine has come through where we removed a huge Hebe, and its so deep its almost impossible to move.
I have large patches of English Ivy in my backyard. I will definitely try your method. How long did it take you to finish the clean up? Two days?
Hi Stephanie. I can’t remember the timeline. I think it’s been over 7 years since I made that video. :-) I may have done the cutting one day and the burning the next. Thank you for watching.
god damn this looks so awful, my whole yard is covered in ivy and i want to cry
I say get after it, Frankie! With a whole yard covered, you’ve got your work cut out for you. I suggest attacking the ivy in sections. If you’re going to use the mower method, start by cutting a grid in the ivy. Then tackle the grid, one square at a time. The most important step, is to start. Go for it! :-)
Thank you for the encouragement lol. I'm so afraid of not getting all the roots and doing all that work for it all to grow back
The key is persistence. Once you get the bulk of it out of the way, it's easier to catch any stragglers that may pop up from time to time. No, it's not going to get rid of 100% of the ivy when you mow, cut the vines, and pull them up. You're just getting the bulk of it and it won't be a tangled, intimidating, run to riot mess that you have now.
Frankie, did you attempt the ivy removal?
but it was so beautiful back when we didn't know how hateful it really is!
What is the best mower to use?
That won’t break/ get tangled with the vines?
Any mower will work. Just set it on the highest setting, or lean it back as you make your first pass. Good luck.
@@GreenShortzDIY thanks - i would like to send pics - let me know - thanks again !
I would substitute a brush cutter for the lawnmower. I also don’t burn my ivy. I let it decompose. It took a lot of nutrients out of the ground. I want it to be replenished. Otherwise good vid.
abandoned garden here with lots of ivy and brambles... there's no easy way out, gotta get hands on
This stuff is just like cockroaches..scourge of the earth!! Been fighting this crap for 30 years....lol
It is the very definition of an invasive species. At least here in Georgia, the cockroaches are native. :-) Thanks for watching.
Eyesore in GA and TN
i was thinking of using a mini chain saw
I too am in Ga with a massive Ivy problem 😩😩😩 Going to try the mow and remove method! Once the soil is exposed with sprigs pulled out, do you think it’s safe to plant grass over the areas where the ivy was?
I’ll give it a try.
After you remove the ivy and as much sprigs as possible is it ok to plant a small tree? A dwarf tree? Something like a dwarf crape Myrtle? Thanks in advance.
Yes. The tree will do fine once you’ve cleared the ivy. Happy planting.
@@GreenShortzDIY thanks for getting back to me! i appreciate it :)
You’re welcome. :-)
I'm working on removing ivy as well. It's been growing up the trees for over 20 years. I cleared 11 trees this past winter and have about 25 more to do. A little at a time is how I work. Has anyone tried brush killer in conjunction with Greenshortz methods?
That child worked hard!
He’s a young man now. :-) Thank you for watching.
Use hedge trimmers makes it easy lol
I like the way you think, Josh. Thanks for the suggestion.
Nice idea! Thanks Josh
I started clearing an area taking over my house exactly the way you did it. I stopped to look on YT for an easier way. Guess not. Just have to do smaller areas at a time. It’s growing through the air vents into the crawl space area and up through the siding on the house. Disaster.
The stuff is a nuisance. :-) good luck with your eradication! Keep at it. Thank you for watching.
Can you grow grass in that area after?
I don’t think there’s any reason that wouldn’t work. As long as you have enough sunlight.
I can’t stand how this type of ivy spreads and takes over everything
English Ivy is a great example of an invasive species. Thanks for watching.
I added mulch to a flower bed, that I share with a neighbor, I keep pulling the ivy down from the bushes that it keeps attacking. I have an area that I'll need to start on my other neighbors side of the fence and kill it before it becomes a bigger mess then it is right now. Thankfully, all my neighbors are old and these are summer cabins, and no one takes care of their lawn except us so a killing I will go good bye Ivy...
Ha ha! Bye ivy! :-) Thanks for watching.
Is there a chance that the ivy will break the mower?
There is that potential. I was careful to walk the area of english ivy I was going mow to check for larger sticks, larger vines or rocks. The nature of the ivy is cover an area uniformly. Thick vines generally happen when the ivy climbs trees. But, the fact that the ivy hides the ground underneath it, means there could be stuff there that might damage your mower. A quick check should prevent any damage. Boots are a must there, given that they ivy might be hiding creatures too. Thanks for your comment.
I used an (AC) electric mower on my invaded area. To reduce the load on its mower, I set it as high as it would go--about 3 inches. That was enough to get most of the leaves and expose the stems.
Thinking about just pour slab of concrete after cleaning it..I wonder if that work
Ha! If you’re going to pour concrete, why bother with clearing. Just make the concrete thick enough to cover the ivy. :-) Thanks for watching.
Thers no magic solution for ivy, just very hard work .
Ivy is actually an native plant of Ireland
So we should call it Irish Ivy then, right? ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ and in Ireland it has native pests that help keep it in check, yes? Do you know what these pests are? I’m curious to know. Thanks for watching.
thanks for the good info. Im getting ready attack my ivy
You got this! :-)
I'd do this with long sleaves and pants due to poison ivy/oak that seems to go along with English ivy.
Good suggestion. Thank you for watching.
Trying to clear the Ivy in my yard and I developed a server rash from it and had to go to urgent care where they proscribed a steroid in a pill form to get rid of it.
Yikes. Did they say it was from English ivy? I’ve seen poison ivy hiding amongst the English ivy before. Heal well, friend.
Honestly, that's minimal progress for 2 years of work. Rent some goats out there and that whole yard will be clear in 5 days.
+Sarah Barbour ha. I’ve thought about goats. I’m that particular yard was at a Home I was renting. So, my efforts were more for demonstration purposes. At my new permanent residence, the residual English ivy from an old homestead will be fully eradicated. :-)
I looked into goats but was informed I would still have to remove the vines/roots. Back to conquer and divide.
I think I'll try this instead of chemical warfare.
+Zach Heckard awesome! It is a lot cheaper and better for the environment to remove English ivy this way. It does require some ongoing upkeep, but only on a yearly basis. Thanks for watching.
This was used at my house as a version of mulch. It will be a battle but I am ready to get rid of it. Why anyone would use this is crazy to me
Agreed! Good luck with your ivy removal! You can do it!
Looks like here in Germany :D
Oh but it is kinda normal for us, since it is european after all
We have problems with japanese knotweed though
Im doing the same crap to my yard Ivy then pines and sweetgums coming down.
I’m surprised y’all didn’t break out and die getting that close to that stuff not covered! You picked it up with ur hands too.
This was English ivy, not poison ivy. Thanks fro your concern. Thanks for watching.
@@GreenShortzDIY After 22 years of dealing with it, now English ivy gives me a rash, too...
Cathartic
It was fun to rip that stuff out. :-) Thanks for watching.
plaguing the front of the home with some other carpet something. Like your idea, section by section
Thank you for watching.
If you have poison ivy, oak, or sumac in your ivy then burning is never an option. The chemical it gives off when burned can cause respiratory issues.
This is old so I hope you still see this and respond! Our entire side yard is like this. There is also POISON ivy mixed in with it (I'm in SC). It is mostly English ivy and none of the poison ivy has leaves on it right now. I understand the oil is still contained in the dormant vines. Do you think it would be ok to just pull it all up together and burn it?? A second question: is there something else we could plant in this area to help prevent erosion (our yard is sloped)? Would grass grow under a heavily wooded area like that?
Hi Rachel. You can pull it up, but I’d avoid burning it if you know there is poison ivy in the mix. You can pile it on a tarp and let it get crispy, then compost it. As an alternative ground cover in this shaded area, you cold look for a forest grass. They are tall and decorative...not a turf grass. I think it’s pretty, but it may not be your taste. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Your body can break out in a rash on the inside and be life threatening from breathing in that residue and oil when it burns
I have heard of a reaction from poison ivy, but never English ivy. Is burning English ivy dangerous? Thanks for the concern.
Yea, ivy is a bitch, but if you've got it bad then you always have something to do on a sunny day, and it can be really satisfying to pull it up if you're in a murderous mood.
I say just TORCH IT! I have cut and dug and clipped...but it still comes up~!!!
Whats the best time of year to begin a project like this?
93Crusher I’m pretty sure English Ivy is evergreen in any climate it can survive in. So, I think any time is a good time to get after it. Winter might be ideal, since bugs and snakes would more dormant. Good luck with your onslaught! Thanks for watching.
Awesome thanks for the reply!
That's a lot of ivy.
I hate ivy. I spend up to 30 hours per year doing exactly what you do in your video. I hoped you would show me how to kill it.
So, in Summary - You just dug it out.
Thanks. I would never have thought of that approach.
English Ivy tea, extract and baths have quite a few health benefits.
Careful dosage and preparation is required but do the research on its
beneficial properties.
May god help me
Why’d you mention the damn snakes!? Jesus.
Looks like a back breaker.
There’s got to be a faster way. Clearing a few small patches at a time, Continuous Monitoring etc etc. Can you put asphalt on top of it?
Snakes love ivy. :-) Here in Georgia that includes copperheads. Another reason to get rid of it. If you look at this whole back yard, this is a small patch. lol. And yes, asphalt is a great solution. Thanks for watching, sorry about the nightmares. :-)
GreenShortz DIY It’s growing like crazy. This English Ivy might just wrap around my legs and pull me inside the damn shit!
Good video but not sure about burning the ivy. There could be poison ivy mixed in and I’ve read of someone being hospitalized for inhaling it.
I thought about that. I stayed away from the smoke. :-) Thank you for watching.
What a nightmare !?!
Thankfully that was a rental house. Otherwise it would have been a much larger task. Thanks for watching.
@@GreenShortzDIY I live in the UK and I have ivy growing all across under the hedge... not sure how to get rid of it 😣
I just hate this fuc*ing plant
I bought a house recently and the previous owners didn't care..
I had to remove it from walls that are 3m tall and 10m long!
It got over other trees and plants, killing everything.
I used big cutting scissors, like the one for metal chains
It is hard work and the worst thing is that afterwards you cut it off you need throw it somewhere
I had a full 13m3 truck, to much to burn it
Burn it
That would work too. Thanks for watching.
Have you ever got _"Snake in your boot.?"_
I assume this isn't how to remove poison ivy.
Ha. It might work. The mowing part at least. Pulling by hand would require some precautions. Thanks for watching.
I poisoned it. All gone.
With what and how?
@@Bishopcolle Round Up ivy Concentrate double the dose. Do not mow it just cut it in spots. Spray in a round up sprayer. Cut it off trees and pull it back and spray that too. In the tree it will just die separated from roots. Same with fences and buildings, like my shed.
Just like colonial English pirate empire
Ha! That is the truth. Thank you for watching.
"Now you can burn it" (shakes head) wasteful
What would you do with it?
Ours came from neighbors two doors down and we should have never let it get as bad as it is 🤬.