Gardening experts at Home Guides agreed that white vinegar is “effective” at getting rid of ivy, particularly English ivy. English ivy is moderately attractive and takes over an area, thereby serving as an effective ground cover to suppress weed growth. These responsibilities are covered by The Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA) and Control of Pesticide Regulations 1986 (COPR).

Important to note: If you have identified ivy growing on a tree, this can indicate a tree in ill health, infected with honey fungus for example, which may require that the tree be felled. When it comes to controlling Ivy the best courses to look at would be PA1 safe use of pesticide training and PA6 safe use of hand-held applicators training. Many ornamental varieties have been bred in variegated forms but all can cause damage to buildings and fencing if left to grow unchecked. Triclopyr may remain in the soil slightly longer than glyphosate, but if applied during moist and warm conditions, microbial degradation is much more rapid so that it is less apt to affect the roots of nearby desirable plants.The person purchasing the professional use product must be satisfied that the end user applying the product is suitably qualified to do so.

The RHS believes that avoiding pests, diseases and weeds by good practice in cultivation methods, cultivar selection, garden hygiene and encouraging or introducing natural enemies, should be the first line of control. Ivy is another common woody weed that grows not only over the ground and through plants, but also over buildings and fences.Ivy can potentially attach to and damage your property, and can also be harmful to children and pets, causing allergic skin reactions from mere touch – and even vomiting if ingested. Best results for English Ivy control will come from a spray applied to young, soft leaf growth in the spring, usually May at the earliest.

We are happy to quote on any planting plans or designs for you large or small, for immediate supply or a few months in advance. Affect on adjacent tree roots etc, maybe advise from the manufacture of SBK on using this method would be wise, as it is pretty strong stuff. Eventually, it can penetrate the bark, weaken branches, and block essential sunlight from getting to the trees' leaves.Work out how many hatchet cuts are needed according to the diameter of the trunk and space them round the girth e. Immediately afterwards, apply a suitable weedkiller such as triclopyr (SBK Brushwood Killer) or glyphosate (tough formulations such as Roundup Ultra, Roundup Stump Killer or Doff Weedout Extra Tough Weedkiller) to the freshly-cut ends of the stems, thoroughly wetting them to ground level, following the manufacturer's instructions.