A common enough sight, but an 80 year old chap in the group told us that when he was a lad he never saw trees covered in ivy. Wood was a valued resource and the ivy would be cut back and never allowed to shroud trees as it often does now.
Tuesday, 20 April 2021
Ivy
A common enough sight, but an 80 year old chap in the group told us that when he was a lad he never saw trees covered in ivy. Wood was a valued resource and the ivy would be cut back and never allowed to shroud trees as it often does now.
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5 comments:
That comment is true, ivy despite what is often said does not kill trees by suffocating them as many believe, and it provides habitat for many insects etc, where it becomes a problem is when it starts to invade the canopy and then excludes light from leaves on branches which then in turn die back.
So cutting back the ivy before it reaches that stage is sound advice.
The garden we inherited last year was completely overgrown with ivy. Several trees completely covered. I've got rid of most of it, but it has done for one elderly Hawthorn. I hate the bloody stuff.
There was a issue often considered in Victorian times, that ivy on the brick walls of houses made some sort of 'emission' of a cleansing nature, which meant that the composure of the rooms, especially the bedrooms, was one of calm and even healing.
It's an interesting plant in some respects, but like many invasives, can be a blasted nuisance!
(The invasion of 'Kudzu' in the US especially, is particularly prevalent, and we saw some forests completely covered with the stuff)!
When we moved into our current house one corner and the back garden wall were covered in ivy. It required regular trimming to prevent it getting into the loft and the roots also invaded a sewer pipe.
It had to go. It was a filthy task (carried out by a garden firm). The render had to be repaired and it took nearly 15 years for the suckers(?) on the brickwork to be weathered away.
I guess you could say I wasn't a fan.
Wiggia - and so easy to do, but it is all labour so maybe that's it.
Sam - yes, although it can enhance the appearance of old walls and brickwork where any damage isn't important. Apart from that the stuff is a nuisance.
Scrobs - I looked up Kudzu. Interesting way of getting rid of it popped up too - a mix of vinegar, salt and washing up liquid.
DJ - yes, we had a house where the damage to brickwork was visible for years. Only an outbuilding fortunately.
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