How to Plant English Ivy As a Ground Cover
English ivy is a woody vine commonly grown as a ground cover but which can also grow up the sides of walls, houses, trees or fences. Hardy from zone 4 to 9, English ivy is evergreen, meaning it stays green year around, and it grows in partial to full shade. It needs well-drained soil and will form a dense mat of foliage in only a few years. Ivy will generally grow where other plants fail but is considered by some as an invasive plant for just that habit. English ivy is a low-maintenance plant is that is as easy to enjoy as it is to plant. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select a location in your garden with partial to full shade. Too much sun will stress your ivy. Ivy does best at the north or east side of a building or tree.
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Loosen the soil with a shovel to a depth of 12 inches. Ivy is best planted in the spring to give the plants time to adjust before the hot summer temperatures. Amend the soil with a two- to three-inch layer of compost and mix will. Rake smooth.
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Water the soil and the plants to hydrate them the day before you plan to plant your ivy. The soil should be moist but not wet.
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Remove the ivy plant from its pot and gently separate the root ball, especially if the roots are wound around themselves in a dense mat. Remove the bottom two sets of leaves closest to the soil to stimulate more root growth.
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Plant your English ivy plants 12 inches apart and at slightly deeper than they were growing in their previous container, letting the soil cover the area of the stem where you removed the leaves. Cover with the soil and water well. The ivy will fill in to create a lush ground cover in about two years.
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Do not fertilize your English ivy for three to four months. Then apply a balanced all-purpose fertilizer every other month during the growing season. Always water well after fertilizing.
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Tips & Warnings
Yardener advises that you plant ivy on an overcast day or in the late afternoon to protect new plants from the sun while they recover for transplant shock.
Do not plant your ivy too close together. The plants will begin competing for nutrients and moisture before they are mature.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Ivy image by Tomasz Pawlowski from Fotolia.com
