I have been trying for about 3 weeks now to pull up every bit of it before it takes over anymore. Unfortunately it has already gotten to at least 3 trees in the back yard. Two of the trees are evergreens, which look like they may not survive the invasion.If you have non-native plants in your yard I encourage you to keep them under control or replace them with native plants. I've seen that in a couple of yards near my house that the English Ivy is being kept under control, but if it isn't it will take over everything.
I really want to encourage planting native. Recently the Master Gardeners in my area put on a session where you could learn about native plants in your area and purchase some of those plants. I was able to learn a lot about the plants native to my area and even purchase some new plants to replace the English ivy. Of course I had to get the English ivy cleared out before planting my new plants. Unfortunately, keeping the English ivy out will be a constant task, but believe me it is worth it. My new plants adapted well to their new surroundings and I really look forward to seeing them come alive again in the spring. I encourage you to contact your local Master Gardener to learn more about planting native in your local area. You can also use the resources provided on the Pathways to the Three R's website http://www.umuc.edu/gogreen/resources/watershedmgmt.shtml to learn more about planting native.
Thanks for your post Alissa!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new home.
Your backyard looks great -- even with all the English Ivy. I have an English Ivy plant inside our home, brought home by my youngest child from a Garden Club activity about 5 years ago. Luckily, I knew enough about English Ivy not to plant it outside.
Could you tell us the name of the plant you used to replace the English Ivy? Thanks.
Hi Sabrina,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post! I haven't actually replaced the ivy yet in the area pictured on the post, because I am still trying to get the ivy dug up. The ivy has litteraly taken over that area and the roots run pretty deep. I talked to a Master Gardener in my local area and she said to be sure to get the ivy up before planting anything new because the ivy will overrun the new plants even native ones. But along the outer borders I have planted two native plants (New England Aster and Lyre Leaf Sage). I planted the native plants far enough away that they wouldn't be over taken by the roots of the ivy. I plan to transplant them once I get the ivy cleared out. The process of clearing has been long, but well worth it. After every session of pulling and clearing I notice a big difference. Luckily my soil is sandy, so I am not having a problem with erosion from the newly cleared areas.