How quick does ivy and a holly tree grow?

[Naga]

Gonna get some Ivy to climb out the front and was wondering how quick it is to grow up walls? Also took a few holly tree cuttings and put them in some moist compost in 30cm pots, just wondering how long I should leave it before plating out?

[thatshallot]

We moved into a house with a few small ivy plants in pots here and there. I can't keep up with the stuff, it runs everywhere and I can't stop it! We also have a holly tree that re-grows very quickly after it's pruned, but it's well established - I don't know how long you should leave the cuttings

[Naga]

Thanks for the reply. I was gonna take some cuttings from a friends tree, a Hedera Helix I believe, do I need to add some trellis on the wall or will it be ok to put up against a wall with a cane in place to give it some "direction"?

[dammad49]

Caution. If putting ivy up a wall make sure it is not an important wall, damage can be severe from aerial roots, particularly if its an old stone/lime mortar wall. Had to reroof my mother's kitchen 'cos ivy roots got in behind the soffets and basically lifted the roof off.

[Naga]

It is a brickwall I wanted to gro it up, the house is from the 30s I guess, how would I know if it's lime mortar?

[Kath]

Ivy looks pretty but it is a devil to get rid of. I planted some near the fence at the bottom of my garden thinking it would look nicer than a fence. It has grown like crazy and although it has now been cut out we still find bits growing all over! There is NO way I would plant it again!

[solway cropper]

I agree with Kath and dammad, ivy is one of the most pernicious weeds you can imagine and it's an absolute nightmare to get rid of. WHY would anyone want the stuff growing near their house. We moved here two and a half years ago and i've been fighting ivy since then. If you leave any of it growing it will re-establish itself in minutes. The stuff that was trying to climb up the front of the house i managed to get rid of with a blow-torch after I'd cut the stems at ground level and applied some nasty chemicals. It might look very pretty on paintings of peasant cottages but in the real world it's a menace.

[Two_Sheds]

Thanks for the reply. I was gonna take some cuttings from a friends tree, a Hedera Helix I believe, do I need to add some trellis on the wall or will it be ok to put up against a wall with a cane in place to give it some "direction"?

Definitely, definitely use trellis. Ivy is a good insulator and it also provides shelter for birds.
however, it will damage brickwork - even if it doesn't pull the mortar out, it leaves unsightly damage when it's eventually taken off the wall.

[Two_Sheds]

Also took a few holly tree cuttings and put them in some moist compost in 30cm pots, just wondering how long I should leave it before plating out?

Holly is slow growing.
Cuttings will take about a year to root, give or take. The plant then grows about a foot a year?
30cm is a big pot. I would put each cutting in a 3 inch pot, myself.