Cutting Ivy Plants

[charliesteve]

Is there any danger to health by cutting ivy that is strangling other plant growth. Trying my hand at gardening having never had a garden before. Thanks. Steve

[Maydup]

We sat in the garden and watched a robin flit in and out of the ivy covering and olf tree stump. It was delightful.

However, we also spent two days last year, removing loads of it from a fence because it had grown far too high and thick, and smoothered other climbers.

So if you need to cut yours back, then go for it. No matter how hard you cut it, you wont kill it, nor is it harmful to work on.

[gness]

That's the trick with ivy, Maydup, isn't it...not to let it get out of hand. I did when MrG was ill and had to work hard to get it back to where I was happy with it.
Kept just as you want it and it is, in many ways, a joy in a garden. Nice for quirky table centres too... :-)

[alavahalf]

Had many a grand day out on the bog digging turf.
Without doubt it always ended in the pub.

[gness]

Our land here in the field is not suitable for turf digging, Alav....but we do have a friend with a great turf bog.
I too have spent many a day in Mayo digging and footing turf. Far too far from the pub to end our days there....just back to the cottage for tea and soda bread. :-(
Where did you dig turf?

[alavahalf]

Donegal in a number of locations..Kerrykeel, Muckish, Gleneely to name a few.

[ferlew]

Another fan of ivy here, I have a few different variegated ones that I planted at the foor of our fence. I now have a rather nice dappled green fence unlike the orange and dark brown ones in other gardens around me.

[ferlew]

Another plus, I often see wrens rooting through the leaves, looking for insect, if it wasn't for the ivy I guess I would never see them, they are so tiny.

[gness]

You've dug a fair bit of turf by the sounds of it, Alav!

Glad you're a fan too, Ferlew....hope all's well with you as you watch your wrens... :-)

[ferlew]

Thank you Gness, yes ok here, a tad lonely but......
Hope all is well at your side.

[gness]

Think there's a lot of lonely folk just now, Ferlew......perhaps the hardest part of all this for many is the loneliness.
We're fine thanks...both vaccinated and living in the safest county in Ireland but still under severe rules. Just hoping we can see family by the end of the year...x

[anneasquith]

Dave on his big white charger . :-)

[Chipchopper]

I think it's a thing that needs to be kept in trim, to stop it from dominating.
I'm leaving it be at the moment, as I've seen a robin taking nesting material in there.
In the meantime its doing a good job of hiding the hideous wheely bins and food (berries) for birds, when little else is around.

[charliesteve]

Thanks everyone for your many thoughts on ivy. I think I will as suggested, keep a little but keep it in check so doesn't get unruly.

[Old_Geezer]

"More than you need to" equates to, "get rid of it all". It's invasive and a mistake to tolerate.

[gness]

Good for you, Charlie. You won't regret keeping some. I've bought two plants in two years! Both ivy and when we had the drive redone I kept two tiny triangles clear, filled with soil and two obelisks for the ivy to climb.
They've not made it a foot up the obelisks in the two years so I'll envy you the pleasure you'll get from thriving ivy. :-)

[charliesteve]

Thanks for answers. I will not remove all at the advice of you good people. Thanks