Garden Tool Set

Ivy on Walls - My Thoughts on the management of ivy

This post follows the post I wrote about the Ivy on Walls project, which can be found here. Needless to say I was very excited by the results as they seem to show that as long as the structure that the ivy is growing on is in good condition, the ivy can be beneficial. With ivy in our living churchyard in mind, I wrote the following thoughts:

1. Ivy is a great educational tool due to it displaying dimorphism of leaves; the juvenile and adult. As well as its’ approach to maturity, the climbing with rootlets and then the change to a shrub-like plant upon maturity.
2. Ivy flowers and fruits late in the year. It can provide food for pollinators (insects) and seed dispersers (birds) at a time when other food is short.
3. The ivy canopy can also be used by invertebrates for shelter.
4. Ivy has aesthetic value and can be used to hide damage that has previously been incurred on surfaces.
5. The report shows that ivy can protect surfaces from extremes of temperature and humidity. This may extend the life of the surface.
6. This report shows that ivy can keep air borne pollution away from the surface, protecting it.
7. This report shows that ivy can prevent rain from hitting the surface and may help prevent chemical weathering.
8. The report shows that ivy can keep moisture close to a surface. This may keep the surface damp increasing the damage of rising damp or chemical weathering. Walls should be monitored, perhaps with an annual checklist and a numbered priority for maintenance where necessary. Walls that are in permanent shade or are permanently damp should be considered for ivy removal as a preventative measure.
9. Where ivy crowds out other plants, it should be removed due to the abundance for ivy at the site.
10. Where ivy is growing on the branches of the yews in the churchyard, it should be removed as it adds unnecessary weight that the tree needs to try to accommodate.
11. Where ivy does need to be removed, this should be done in the preferred method of the report. That is; gently removing the ivy, with hand tools where necessary, working from the outer free-hanging layers first.

It would be great to hear your experiences with ivy in the comments below. Does your experience match the results of the English Heritage survey? Will your management of ivy change in response to their findings?