Gardening expert unveils simple trick to wipe out 'hell plant' before it spreads: 'Low effort, high reward'

English ivy is considered an invasive species in many regions, including parts of North America, Australia, and New Zealand. 

As this TikTok video from Andrew The Arborist (@andrew_the_arborist) shows, English ivy can be controlled and cut back, even if its stranglehold on native trees is prevalent. 

@andrew_the_arborist The winter is a good time to find and remove English Ivy (Hedera helix) from native trees or from woodlands in your area! It is an invasive vine here in the US, and it can cause various issues for trees and woodlands. Here's a quick tutorial on how to remove the vines from a tree! #englishivy #english #ivy #hederahelix #invasivespecies #invasiveremoval #removal #ecosystemrestoration #restoration #ecosystem #ecologicalrestoration #ecology #invasive #species #plants #gardening #garden #plant #ivy ♬ original sound - Andrew The Arborist

The clip reveals an easy method for removing English ivy, or at least reducing its spread, in your yard or anywhere else you have permission to do so. 

That's not to say you can go HAM on any English ivy you spot, of course. But you can contact your local parks and request permission to remove English ivy from the premises. In fact, Andrew The Arborist suggests doing just that.

The instructions in the video are succinct and simple. As one response suggests, never attempt to rip English ivy off the bark. Doing so will damage the tree, potentially scarring it. 

The TikTok shows viewers how to use a pair of pruning shears to cut a 6-inch section from each vine, perhaps a foot or so from the ground. This cuts the entire length of ivy from its primary nutrient source below and inhibits its ability to produce more seeds.

Once it grows long enough, English ivy begins competing with the tree for nutrients. As the ivy spreads, its seeds continue to propagate, spreading the "infection," so to speak. 

English ivy is such a nuisance to native tree and ground plant life that some parks hold events to cut it back. 

English ivy is an invasive species. Rewilding or upgrading to a natural lawn is difficult unless you deal with it. Both are fantastic ways to beautify properties with native plants, cutting down on bills, maintenance, water usage, and time. But English ivy can quickly ruin such a project if the offending plant isn't cut back or removed altogether. 

Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely 👍 Depends on the animal 🤔 No way 👎 Just let people do it for free 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Several posts reflected the benefits of removing English ivy, such as this one: "Recently did this to an ivy overflow in our front yard. Freed a beautiful holly and got rid of the hell plant."

Others are spreading the word: "We tell people to get rid of this all the time and how easy it is truly to starting killing it and saving your trees and ecosystem!"

Another noted: "Such a satisfying task. Low effort, high reward."

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