Gardener shares video demonstrating how to kill off backyard menace that can cause major problems: 'It's a nightmare'

A gardener took to TikTok to help teach folks about removing a pesky invasive species from their yard. 

The scoop

Jess from the You Can Do It Gardening account (@youcandoitgardening) posted a video demonstrating the correct way to remove ivy. 

@youcandoitgardening Ivy can cause major problems. It can totally take over yards and make it impossible to grow anything in that location. If it's in a sheet, pull it up and dispose of it. If it's starting to creep into a neighbor's yard from yours, acknowledge the issue and try to contain it. In addition to pulling it up you may need to try a nontoxic herbicide. I would consult with a specialist in your area about this. Not all ivy is a disaster but invasive ivy competes with trees for resources like water, nutrients, and sunlight and it can outcompete native plants and disrupt ecosystems. The weight can stress tree branches, causing them to break. Thick ivy growth can smother the tree, leading to poor air circulation and potential fungal growth. Its attachment to the bark can damage the protective layer and make the tree more susceptible to pests and diseases. And over time, ivy can weaken and damage trees, which can potentially kill the tree. If you have thick vines climbing up a tree and it's all over the tree, I encourage you to consult with an arborist. How to remove it off of trees if the vines are not too thick: Cut the ivy vines at the base of the tree. Try not to damage the tree when you do this. Remove the cut vines from the tree once they dry up and die. If you can, clear a space around the tree, extending 3 feet from the trunk. Monitor and remove any new ivy growth Repeat the process until the ivy is completely removed. Dispose of cut ivy properly to prevent re-rooting. Prevent future growth by monitoring and removing new ivy promptly. Have any of you struggled with this and how did you deal with it? Gardening should be for everyone so let's get out there and get our hands dirty. I'm in zone 6 in the Boston area but almost all of the principles I talk about are applicable to any garden.🌺 The link for scheduling consultations, pruning guides and supporting this free content can be found in my bio. Locations: client's houses (video done by Brian and Kim), another client's house #ivy #englishivy #trees #gardening101 #gardeningforbeginners #gardeningtipsforbeginners #diylandscaping #gardentok ♬ original sound - You Can Do It Gardening

"Ivy can cause major problems," she said in the caption. "It can totally take over yards and make it impossible to grow anything in that location."

If the ivy is in a sheet in your yard, Jess explains that you can pull it up and get rid of it. If it has started to move into a neighboring property, you should "try to contain it." She notes that you may have to use nontoxic herbicides on it to ensure that it stops spreading and to consult experts in your area for more guidance on which ones to use. 

If the ivy is on the trees, she explains that you should cut the vines at the base of the tree and pull them off once they've shriveled and died while being careful not to damage the tree in the process. Then clear a space at least 3 feet around the trunk of the tree of all ivy, and monitor for new growth. 

"If you have thick vines climbing up a tree and it's all over the tree," Jess says, "I encourage you to consult an arborist." 

How it's helping

Ivy is a massive problem in much of the United States. 

According to Invasive.org, English ivy's natural habitat is in Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. It came to the United States around 1727 and has long been marketed as a year-round, carefree ground cover solution. It can survive in a variety of climates, landscapes, and soil types and can be found anywhere in the eastern U.S. and as far west as Washington and Arizona. 

Much like other vines, like kudzu, ivy chokes out the surrounding vegetation by spreading quickly across the ground, depriving other plants of sunlight. It also grows up trees, which blocks trees from getting sufficient sunlight and killing them slowly over several years. English ivy is also known to carry bacterial leaf scorch, a pathogen that disrupts a tree's ability to transport water. 

What everyone's saying

Commenters bemoaned trying to deal with ivy in their own yards and gardens.  

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"I had to have a guy literally blowtorch my bank to get rid of it," one said. "Scorched the earth." 

"I've been pulling ivy for years," another said. "Killed many trees. Gave up on pulling it last year and used targeted ivy Roundup. It has worked really well!"

"It's a nightmare," said a third.

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