keeping ivy from returning

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monkapotamus Winston Salem, NC(Zone 7b) Jun 14, 2009

I just pulled up a bunch of ivy, english I think, from an overgrown area. I dug up the roots as best as I could, but I'm not sure I got every last bit. Will it return from the little roots left over? Should I cover the area with black plastic or cardboard or something to smother it? How long would that take before it is killed off?

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jun 14, 2009

It may behave different in your climate, but if you were here I would tell you that yes, it will come back, although if you're vigilant and pull new growth as you see it you can keep it under control (or hit the new growth with brush killer to help try and kill the roots--new growth doesn't have the waxy coating yet so herbicides will work much better than on mature leaves). I'm personally not convinced that smothering it with plastic would work, I think this is one of those things that might be able to pop up through it. I did the same thing you did at my old house where I pulled up everything I could and then covered it up with landscape fabric, and it managed to pop up through it in a couple places, and also some runners just grew longer and longer until it found its way out on the end of the area where I had put down the fabric. I ended up removing the fabric because it was easier to pull the pieces that did sprout without having the fabric there, plus I was able to find them sooner.

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monkapotamus Winston Salem, NC(Zone 7b) Jun 14, 2009

Thanks for sharing your experience ecrane3. I guess I'll just use a thick layer of mulch and try to get the young ones as they come up. I have found landscape fabric to be a nuisance too. Should I hold off on other planting there until it seems under control? If I plant a ground cover, I'd be tearing that up too as I tear out the ivy runners, right?

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jun 14, 2009

I planted right away, I'm not a patient person! Plus you'll be pulling little ivy sprouts for years so you'd have to wait a long time otherwise! But if you're planning to spray the ivy with brush killer as it pops up (vs pulling it) then you might want to wait so that you don't have to be as careful where you're spraying.

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