Once ivy gets settled in after planting, it really takes off! After a bit of a slow start, this plant becomes incredibly vigorous, sending out tons of long vines that love to reach for the sky. If you want to help your ivy climb to new heights, here’s how to give it a hand.
You’ve Got to Give It Some Support
Ivy vines can’t actually stand up on their own. Instead, they produce countless tiny aerial rootlets as soon as they touch a surface they can grab onto. These little roots act like tiny suction cups, locking onto the surface and refusing to let go.
In the wild, you’ll mostly see ivy winding its way up trees. While you can let it do that in your backyard, it’s not the best long-term move for the tree’s health. It’s much better to provide a dedicated climbing support. With the right setup, you can even grow a lush ivy hedge.
Choosing the Right Climbing Support
You’ll want to have your support system ready about 2 to 3 years after planting, which is right when ivy hits its growth spurt. A solid support needs to check three boxes:
- It must be sturdy: Ivy gets surprisingly heavy as it matures, so make sure the structure is well-anchored.
- It needs some “grip”: Materials like wood or concrete are perfect. Metal is often too slick for the roots to grab.
- It should be the right height: Plan ahead for how tall you want it to grow.
Pro Tip:
Only let ivy climb on walls that are in good shape and a darker color. Light-colored walls reflect too much sunlight, and if a wall has cracks, those tiny roots can actually wiggle inside and cause structural damage.
The Chain-Link Fence Trick
Even though metal is usually too slippery for ivy, you can still cover a chain-link fence with a little DIY help. Just manually weave the first few vines through the mesh. As the plant grows, the new vines will anchor themselves to the older ones. Just keep up with regular pruning to keep it at the height you want.
Pairing with Roses and Clematis
When ivy is young, it’s a total shade lover. However, once it reaches its adult phase (usually after about ten years), it actually craves more sun. In a sunny spot, it looks stunning paired with colorful roses or competing for space with a climbing clematis.
Since ivy doesn’t handle transplanting very well, you’ll need to plant it in that sunny spot from day one. Just be sure to give the young plant some artificial shade during the hottest part of the day until it’s established.
Thinking Outside the Box
Who says ivy has to go up? You can also let it spread horizontally as a lush groundcover. Or, if you’re looking for a “waterfall” effect, let the vines trail down from a hanging basket or a balcony planter.
