How to Get Rid of Ivy on a Brick House

Ivy is considered an invasive weed in some areas.

Climbing ivy along the exterior of a house can add charm to its exterior. Sometimes, though, the ivy is uncontrollable and can do damage to the masonry beneath the clinging vines. If you want to remove the ivy on the side of your brick home, you can do so easily with the application of an herbicide containing glyphosate. Once you attack the base of the ivy, it will quickly recede from your home's brick face.

Things You'll Need

• Garden shears
• Rubber gloves
• Detergent
• Herbicide(glyphosate)
• Pump sprayer
• Fiber brush
• Garden hose

Instructions

1. Cut the ivy vines away from the brick walls of your house with garden shears. Be careful not to pull the vines as you may damage the brick. Only the shoots will remain on the walls after this cutting process.

2. Wait two to three weeks for the shoots to die. Carefully monitor the shoots to make sure that you remove them before they rot on the brick.

3. Combine 5 parts water with 1 part detergent in a pump sprayer.

4. Spray the solution directly onto the dried up shoots to facilitate removal.

5. Sweep the brick walls with a stiff fiber brush to pull off the remaining ivy.

6. Apply herbicide to the roots of the plant and any ivy on the ground near the foundation if you want to completely eliminate the ivy plant.

References

• "How to Cheat at Gardening and Yard Work: Shameless Tricks for Growing Radically Simple Flowers, Veggies, Lawns, Landscaping, and More"; Jeff Bredenberg; 2009
• Brick Industry Association: Technical Notes on Brick Construction