Plant Doctor Archive

Ivy taking over

I AM desperate to find out how to eradicate ivy that has overtaken my shrubbery. We have sprayed with Woody Weedkiller (not much success) and Network. Can you please help me before I go nuts?

GLYPHOSATE-BASED weedkillers like Roundup, Glyphosate and the Network you used can eventually kill off ivy, but it takes some time for them to work and you often have to apply them several times.

A Native Forest Restoration Guide, published several years ago, contains suggestions for controlling ivy. With glyphosate it recommends you use 150ml of Roundup or Glyphosate (360 strength) in 5 litres of water. It also lists Activated Amitrole for ivy control and again suggests a strong rate, 100ml Activated Amitrole in 5 litres of water. Add a wetting/sticking agent like Sprayfix, Pulse or Spraymate to the solution for better uptake and make sure to get good spray coverage of as much of the ivy foliage as possible. It may be two to three months - or more - before the ivy has finally died off. Be sure to avoid getting spray on any desirable plants.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.