Rules for planting garden ivy and the subtleties of caring for it

It is not difficult to plant ivy on the site, and even a novice gardener can take care of it. This unpretentious and hardy plant is often planted along walls or hedges for its decorative qualities.

Botanical description

Common ivy is an evergreen climbing shrub that is able to attach with its sucker-like adventitious roots to various objects (trees, walls of houses, hedges, etc.), using them as a support. It can grow up to 20-30 m in height and also grow as a ground cover plant. In many regions, it is considered a weed, it grows in a wide range of soil pH, but an acidity of 6.5 is ideal for it. Prefers damp, shaded areas, avoids exposure to direct sunlight.

Leaves alternate, leathery, smooth, 50-100 mm long, petiole 10-20 mm.

Ivy has two types of leaves:

1. adults are fan-shaped, with five lobes;
2. young - with three lobes on creeping stems and heart-shaped on fruiting, flowering shoots that are open to the sun and usually crown the crown.

The flowers are small, greenish-yellow, do not bear decorative value, appear from late summer to autumn. They are a good source of nectar for bees. The fruits are purple-black, ripen in winter and are included in the diet of many birds, but are poisonous to humans.

Growing conditions and use

Garden ivy has an unsurpassed ability to adapt and will grow well where conditions for development exist, similar to those of its natural growth. He will feel good in a shaded damp place, but he does not like stagnant moisture. It is undemanding to fertilizing, but it is advisable to loosen the soil after rain to avoid crust formation.

Ivy is used as a self-healing green fence, as well as for decoration of building facades. It provides an attractive appearance as well as insulation and protection against precipitation. It dries out the soil around the foundation a little, which prevents the walls from damp.

However, ivy's unpretentiousness is a double-edged sword. Ivy is able to climb young trees with such a density that they can fall from its weight. Fibrous adventitious roots spoil the plaster, shoots crawl into drains and under the roof, pick up tiles, serve as food for rodents and other parasites.

Advice

The decision to plant ivy should be made deliberately, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons. Achieving positive effects will require some care and skill with the plant.

How to plant ivy?

Cuttings or parts of rhizomes are best planted in spring, so that the plant has time to mature enough during the warm season and then overwinter more confidently. It is necessary to plant in a moisture-absorbing, nutritious, breathable substrate of neutral acidity. The ivy root system is poorly developed, so dig a shallow hole, 15-20 cm deep.

Advice

If the soil on the site is heavy, for planting it is advisable to dig a hole deeper and put drainage from expanded clay, broken bricks or other material. You can feed with humus.

Care features

Further care for the ivy will not cause difficulties.

• If the plant is young, it must be directed to a fence, wall or other support along the twine. Then it will itself cling to vertical surfaces.
• Watering is necessary in moderation, avoiding stagnant moisture, which can provoke decay of the root system.
• You can feed it once a month with mineral or organic fertilizers.During the active growing season, use nitrogen, in late summer and early autumn - potassium phosphate dressing.
• The soil should be periodically loosened, and its surface should be mulched around the plant. For these purposes, leaf humus, peat or wood chips are suitable.

The young plant must be covered for the winter. You can carefully remove the ivy from the support, put it on the ground, cover it with dry foliage and cover it with a box. The snow cover will increase the protection against freezing. In the spring, the plant is raised and tied up again. As soon as the ivy rises above 1.5 m, gains strength and mass, it will be possible not to remove it.

From time to time, ivy should be trimmed, removing excess and forming a crown. The cuttings can be rooted, thereby propagating the plant.

Ivy breeding

Ivy propagates by green cuttings or layering roots, which can be carefully dug out. Green semi-lignified shoot with leaves, not older than 2 years, is cut and rooted in water or peat. After the appearance of a sufficient number of roots, the cutting can be planted in a permanent place. It is necessary to plant cuttings at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. Ivy is very responsive to rooting stimulants and growth regulators.

Pests and diseases

With proper care, ivy does not get sick, and if it does, it is very rare. It is the optimal growth conditions that are the key to the health of your plant. The main enemy of juicy young ivy shoots are snails, slugs and caterpillars. With the onset of heat, they pounce on the plant and begin to devour the leaves. Ivy can also be affected by aphids, scale insects, etc. For prevention, treat plants with complex insecticides.

Ivy is a very interesting ornamental plant. When properly cultivated, it is capable of transforming into amazing hedges and covering the facades of houses without much hassle.