How to Remove Ivy Remains From the Foundation of My House

Remove ivy from your foundation with an application of herbicide.

While some homeowners love the look that ivy vines give the exterior of a house, others hate it and the clinging vines can damage mortar. Thankfully for those that are tired of dealing with encroaching ivy, there is a simple method of removing its remains. With a properly applied herbicide, you can kill the remaining ivy, then easily brush it from your home's foundation. Learn the method of removal and quickly restore the exterior of your home.

Things You'll Need

• Garden sprayer
• Herbicide(containing glyphosate)
• Water
• Push brush
• Garden hose

Instructions

1. Remove the top of the garden pump sprayer and fill it with equal parts water and herbicide.

2. Replace the cover to the pump sprayer and pump the tank as instructed in the user guide to prepare it for spraying.

3. Hold the wand of the sprayer 6 to 12 inches away from the foundation, then coat the ivy remains with the solution.

4. Wait three to four days for the herbicide to kill the remaining ivy, then scrub down the wall with the push broom to remove the ivy shoots.

5. Rinse the wall with a garden hose once finished removing the ivy.

References

• "How to Cheat at Gardening and Yard Work: Shameless Tricks for Growing Radically Simple Flowers, Veggies, Lawns, Landscaping, and More"; Jeff Bredenberg; 2009
• Walter Reeves - The Georgia Gardener; Removing Ivy From Brick; Walter Reeves