How to remove invasive Ivy?

caitlin2

Hi, 

My partner and I bought a house about a year ago and are just getting around to fixing up the backyard. There is an invasive ivy plant taking over the top and sides of our shed. What is the best way to remove this myself or alternatively who would I hire to remove it for me? It is in some quite hard to reach places between the shed and the fence and on the roof which is quite high up. Is there any effective weed killer which might be useful for removing this?

thanks 🙂

JacobZ

Hi @caitlin2,

You might like to start by having a look at this best advice article about How to get rid of ivy?

It looks like access to the base of the ivy is pretty nonexistent. Would that be correct?

In an ideal scenario, you would cut the main stems of the ivy near ground level to stop the flow of nutrients to the upper growth. Once that’s done, you'd gently pull the vines from the shed walls and roof edges, then manually remove the stems along with the roots.

Is there any way you can access the base of the ivy to carry out this procedure? Maybe by coordinating with your neighbour to temporarily remove a fence panel?

If this isn't possible, a glyphosate-based weedkiller can be used, but getting it down into the roots might still be a bit tricky. 

I think the crux of the issue is around how to get at the base of the ivy, so if we can work that out, it would just take some time and effort to get it out.

If you were looking to have someone remove it for you, a landscaper or mowing contractor would likely be able to help.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob