Ivy deterrence tactics please!

[vixylix]

Hi all,

We've spent a long two days wrestling two+ foot wide of our garden back from our neighbours ivy. Underneath are those crazy 80s bricks with holes in. I want to cover the whole wall with something to deter the ivy getting back through (plus there's a nice little border I can grow something herby in)

OH wants to render it, but I don't want to make a mess on next doors side (they are very nice people despite the ivy!) I wondered if just nailing up some thick tarpaulin / weed membrane would be enough?

Any suggestions?

p.s. all the dead branches poking through are now gone - so its a clean slate as it were!

[lottie dolly]

Ivy is a thug,all you can do is cut it down,it will find a way through most things,why not have a word with them,or the dreaded weed killer,

[Baldy]

I hate ivy - at least around my house - I'm ok with it around yours, though you obviously aren't...
In my experience ivy will get through tarp and weed membrane so save yourself the cash there.
I suspect it will get through render too.
Weedkiller / nuclear is my suggestion. Root killer stuff. Kill it kill it kill it.
Don't talk to me about how lovely some variegated varieties can be - talk to the hand ;(

[vixylix]

We've tried subtle hints... plus they've seen how long its taken us to sort it out. Maybe they'll slowly figure it out, but I think they're worried about the wall falling down if it comes out.

I realise nothing will stop it entirely, was just hoping for something that will slow it down so it doesnt take ALL of our time to keep it under control.

[Lardman]

If it's all nice and clean and there's enough overhang on those saddlebacks why not attach some cement board. You could then either paint or render without impacting next door.

All this assumes it's your wall - strictly speaking you shouldn't be doing anything to the wall if it's not yours.

[Thelma Sanders]

As you see any new growth coming through the gaps spray them with glyphosate. It will stop growing eventually.

[Dalrimple]

and there's the rub ! if it's your wall you have the right to make sure it's kept tidy, also if it's your wall you have to make sure it's safe and won't fall down on your nieghbours propety and do damage ! so if it's your wall tell them toremove the ivy.. atb Dal.

[happyhumph]

Legally if the ivy is growing on their property you're entitled to cut off anything overhanging your property (technically you have to offer the trimmings back to them if they want them!) so glysophate etc a no-no sorry

Think it's going to be hard to stop it. However you could treat it like a hedge and trim it regularly. I've seen this done and even bog standard ivy looks attractive like this. Just make sure you trim along the bottom as well to stop any further rooting in the soil your side, & maybe plant a vigorous ground cover as it's contained by the driveway.

[DannyK]

If you lose the ivy won't you lose your privacy?

If you block the holes, which will be very hard work to ivy proof, it'll just come over the top! It'll exploit the tiniest gaps and then thicken up.

Go with happyhumph's suggestion. Now you've got rid of the woody stems, a quick whizz with a hedge trimmer or shears will sort it.

[vixylix]

Thanks all - some good food for thought!

We had intended to cut it back and keep it trimmed, but that was before we realised it would be able to grow through the holes in the bricks. Hopefully now we've pulled out all the dead stuff it might be fairly easy to keep on top of?

I have no idea whose wall it is?! Its mostly a retaining wall but the bricks on top were added by a previous owner of our house.

Danny - we have no privacy anyway, we're on a hill so we look down into their driveway!

[DannyK]

Danny - we have no privacy anyway, we're on a hill so we look down into their driveway!

So no naked gardening then!!!!

[veggiechicken]

^^^ That's what the Ivy leaves are for - bit smaller than figleaves but you have to make do with what you have!

[Jungle Jane]

How's the ivy now? I used a bit of weed killer the other day behind my shed on the fence,to stop it coming through again,I noticed my other neighbours had used weedkiller because where our gardens join you can see the brown dead ivy. It won't kill the whole plant,I'm just doing what I can to keep it out of my garden? It feels the right idea of management?

[vixylix]

I keep checking ours and so far there's no sign of it coming back through. I think we'll need to keep an eye on it but at least its not grown back through as fast as I thought it would.

We still have loads more to get out though - and I've found a patch which has rooted into our lawn - NOT happy about that, but that isnt attached to theirs so if I must I will weed killer it.

I'm also suspicious there is a wasps nest somewhere in the stuff that is remaining.

Horrible stuff!

[Jungle Jane]

That's good it's not come back through,I had some in the lawn edge but it pulled out alright with a bit of the root,there's probably a whole network of roots under my garden