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Remove ivy from your garden so it never comes back with 1 chemical-free item
Gardeners can eliminate stubborn English ivy using a plastic sheeting technique called solarisation, which blocks sunlight and depletes root energy over one to two years. The method, endorsed by experts, requires patience but avoids chemicals and physical strain.
English ivy, often admired for its picturesque appeal, can become a relentless invader in gardens. Left unchecked, it rapidly climbs walls, spreads through borders, and suffocates smaller plants. Simply cutting it back rarely solves the problem, as established ivy regrows from rooted stems and leftover growth.
For those seeking a chemical-free alternative, solarisation offers a practical solution. This technique, championed by home and garden blogger Tara Besore, involves covering the ivy with thick, black plastic sheeting to block sunlight and starve the roots. Besore shared her success, noting that after “spending a summer getting nowhere with brute force,” she turned to this method, which “lets the sun scorch the ivy under plastic.” She emphasized that it works on “even the thickest ivy,” requires no back-breaking effort, and “doesn't require chemicals.”
Specialists at Piedmont Master Gardeners endorse the approach, explaining that a thick tarp or heavy plastic sheeting “can kill English ivy by blocking sunlight and depleting the energy stored in the roots.” However, they caution that the process is time-consuming, potentially taking one to two years to “fully wipe out the ivy's extensive root system.”
Steps to Implement Solarisation
The first step is to completely cover the ivy with thick, black plastic sheeting. This can be done using a single sheet or multiple layers, ensuring no gaps allow plants to push through. Beneath the sheeting, the ivy is deprived of water and subjected to heat, which ultimately kills the plant, its roots, and even seeds.
Securing the plastic is essential; stake it down or weigh it with heavy objects to prevent it from blowing away. Every few months, lift a corner to assess whether the ivy has died. Once the ivy is dead, you can remove it by cutting and pulling, mowing over the vines to break them up, or, for ivy on trees, cutting the vines around the base and digging out the roots.
A Word on Alternatives
While some gardeners turn to white vinegar as a natural remedy, it is not always permanent. Solarisation, despite its lengthy timeline, offers a more definitive solution for those willing to wait. As Besore’s experience shows, patience is key—but the result is a garden free of this tenacious climber without the use of chemicals.
How each outlet told it
Daily Express
Framing: Headline emphasizes removing ivy 'for good naturally' without specifying the method; leaves out that it uses plastic sheeting and takes up to two years. — Informative and reassuring, e.g., 'It is worth noting that the main drawback to this method is that it's slow.'
Facts Included:
Ivy can regrow from rooted stems and remaining growth if only trimmed once
White vinegar is a cheap natural method but doesn't always keep ivy away for good
Blogger Tara Besore shared how she 'got rid of thick and obnoxious English ivy for good' naturally with just some plastic
Tara's quote: 'After spending a summer getting nowhere with brute force, I turned to the solarisation method. This involves letting the sun scorch the ivy under plastic.'
Piedmont Master Gardeners recommended the method, claiming plastic 'can kill English ivy by blocking sunlight and depleting the energy stored in the roots'
Main drawback: it takes one to two years to 'fully wipe out the ivy's extensive root system'
Steps: cover ivy with thick black plastic, stake or weigh down, check every few months, remove dead ivy
Plastic deprives ivy of water and 'permanently killing the ivy, the roots, and even the seeds'
After solarising, cut and pull ivy; can mow over vines to break them up
Framing: Headline emphasizes a chemical-free method with '1 chemical-free item' but does not name the item in the headline; leaves out that the method is solarisation and takes up to two years. — Practical and encouraging, e.g., 'Gardeners struggling with ivy should give this chemical-free method that can provide long-term control and organic ivy removal a try.'
Facts Included:
Ivy can regrow from rooted stems and remaining growth if only cut back once
White vinegar is an inexpensive, natural remedy but doesn't always permanently remove ivy
Blogger Tara Besore recommends solarisation, which works on 'even the thickest ivy' and doesn't require chemicals
Tara's quote: 'After spending a summer getting nowhere with brute force, I turned to the solarisation method. This involves letting the sun scorch the ivy under plastic.'
Piedmont Master Gardeners endorsed the method, stating plastic 'can kill English ivy by blocking sunlight and depleting the energy stored in the roots'
Method takes one to two years to 'fully wipe out the ivy's extensive root system'
Steps: cover ivy with thick black plastic, stake or weigh down, check every few months, remove dead ivy
Plastic starves ivy of water and 'permanently killing the ivy, the roots, and even the seeds'
After solarisation, cut and pull ivy; can mow over vines
For ivy on trees, cut vines around the base and dig out roots
Framing: Headline emphasizes a simple task in August that can permanently remove ivy; leaves out the nature of the task (using plastic sheeting) and the duration. — Urgent and encouraging, with a seasonal hook: 'Ivy that is impossible to remove will be gone for good if you do 1 simple task in August.'
Facts Included:
Natural, chemical-free technique can kill English ivy down to roots and seeds
Ivy can regrow from rooted stems and remaining growth if only cut back once
White vinegar is an inexpensive remedy but doesn't always work permanently
Blogger Tara Besore recommends solarisation, which works on 'even the thickest ivy' without chemicals
Tara's quote: 'After spending a summer getting nowhere with brute force, I turned to the solarisation method. This involves letting the sun scorch the ivy under plastic.'
Piedmont Master Gardeners endorsed the method, stating plastic 'can kill English ivy by blocking sunlight and depleting the energy stored in the roots'
Method takes one to two years to 'fully wipe out the ivy's extensive root system'
Steps: cover ivy with thick black plastic, stake or weigh down, check every few months, remove dead ivy
Plastic starves ivy of water and 'permanently killing the ivy, the roots, and even the seeds'
After solarising, cut and pull ivy; can mow over vines
For ivy on trees, cut vines around base and dig out roots
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Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimGardeners can kill English ivy down to its roots and seeds using a natural, chemical-free technique called solarisation.
ClaimTara Besore said: "After spending a summer getting nowhere with brute force, I turned to the solarisation method. This involves letting the sun scorch the ivy under plastic."
ClaimPiedmont Master Gardeners endorsed solarisation, stating that a thick tarp or heavy plastic sheeting "can kill English ivy by blocking sunlight and depleting the energy stored in the roots".
ClaimThe first step to remove ivy with plastic sheeting is to completely cover the ivy with thick, black plastic sheeting, either as a single piece or several layers.
ClaimUnder the plastic sheeting, the ivy is starved of water and bakes in the heat, "permanently killing the ivy, the roots, and even the seeds" so it can't grow back.
ClaimYou should check the ivy every few months by lifting a corner of the plastic to see if it has died, and once only dry, brittle, brown vines remain, remove the dead ivy.
ClaimAfter solarisation, cutting and pulling the ivy is straightforward; you can hack through the vines and gather the debris, and you can mow over the vines to break them up.