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English ivy infestation and how to remove?

#1 · 8th August 2023, 9:44 pm

Hi all!

I am in the process of reclaiming my fairly large garden after years of neglect, and finding much happiness in gardening. The garden was very well designed in the 1950s when the house was built and to the best of my knowledge hasn't been changed since. Therefore some parts, such as the stone/concrete section at the far end are falling apart. I have so far removed the mass of weeds from the boarders, planted new small shrubs/flowers and cut down some very young oak trees, (the squirrels keep forgetting to come back for their acorns!)

Some of the garden I am happy to leave wild, since there are many birds and mammals that live near and pass through the garden. However, at the top end of the garden there is a ~ 10x10m raised area that had a patio, more soil for shrubs, and space for a shed. It is now completely overgrown with ivy- the roots go under the paving, have matted within the soil, and spread EVERYWHERE. I have tried many methods to remove it, most recently I mowed it as much as possible, but to no avail. Short of removing the shed and entire concrete/paved section, (a significant and expensive project) I'm not sure what to do. Any advice on how to get rid of extremely well established ivy?

I should note that the ivy was planted deliberately by the landscaper in the front and back gardens back in the day, so it spans the whole length of one boarder too, although I've removed enough to hide most of it 🙂