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English ivy (Hedera helix) is an evergreen perennial.
It is also classified as a woody vine.
English ivy can act as a ground cover, spreading horizontally.
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The plant will eventually bear insignificant greenish flowers, but it is grown primarily for its evergreen leaves.
In this regard, ivy can be classified as a foliage plant.
The best time to plant English ivy is spring.
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It is a fast, aggressive grower that is considered invasive in many areas.
Keep a watchful eye on children and pets because English ivy is toxic to humans and animals.
English ivy is also widely known to be capable of causing damage to trees and brickwork.
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Light
English ivy plants grow well in part shade to full shade.
Ivy grown indoorsneeds bright, indirect light in summer but can benefit from some direct light in winter.
Soil
Grow this evergreen vine in well-drained soil.
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A thick layer of mulch helps keep the soil moist in dry climates.
Indoors, ivy does best inpotting mixthat is loose and well-drained.
Water
When watering your ivy, always check the soil before adding water.
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Indoor or outdoor ivy prefers evenly moist but not soggy soil.
Also, verify that your plant has excellent drainage.
Ivy should not be kept in standing water or overly wet soil.
Temperature and Humidity
EnglishIvy plantsgrow best in temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Their leaves will stay dark green when grown in steady temperatures and medium to high humidity.
It does not like cold winter wind or high summer heat.
Prune any ivy into a bushy shape by pinching off its growing tips, also in spring.
A hard pruning every few years helps revitalize the plant.
If English ivy is already climbing one of your trees, be careful if you wish to remove it.
Do not just rip a vine off, which could hurt the tree’s bark.
Thisremovaltechnique is the best way to get rid of the plant organically, but it does require some patience.
It is only at this point that new shoots will stop emerging every spring.
Small ivy plants can be repotted once a year, while larger plants can be repotted every two years.
Always repot with new potting soil to ensure adequate nutrition.
Overwintering
English ivy needs protection from winter winds.
Prep the soil by keeping it moist throughout the fall and before the first frost.
Moist soil and dry foliage will help English ivy survive the colder season.
Unfortunately, the best remedy is to remove the affected plants.
Help protect any remaining plants by spraying them with a 10-to-1 mixture of water to vinegar.
Root rot is typically sparked by warm and humid weather and can be fatal to affected plants.
Again, removal is the best remedy.
Unaffected remaining plants can be treated with fungicide for protection.
Outdoors, English ivy needs little to no care for it to thrive.
Indoors, you’ll need to pay a bit more attention to the plant.
Since English ivy is aggressive, it can grow rapidly.
It establishes quickly outdoors (within months).
Native vines such as Virginia Creeper and Golden Ragwort are beneficial plants to wildlife and are nontoxic.
American wisteria and Dutchman’s pipe, although deciduous, are also good alternatives to English Ivy.
