If you follow the videos I have you will be saving trees and nature. I do not know what you read, but if a big tree is full of Ivy and you try to pull off all the Ivy when it is alive, then that would be more risky, and more difficult, and more likely to increase the risk of damaging some bark in the upper canopy. Using our methods, staying on the ground, and being careful, we have not had that issue for decades.

Good luck!

Hi. Great question! Get a detailed answer and view my video on killing ivy roots at : kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4HOYYaefriDr6M Also to keep the Ivy from going back up the trees see my video at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWimmpqkhbmbgJI I am sharing all my knowledge and tips from 23 years and counting experience. Watching my videos gives you tested expert advice. You will be a pro by checking out all my videos at my channel. PacificCrestTrail12 The short answer is yes the roots should die when you cut them low to the ground. But if you leave them on the tree bark a foot or two, then they may keep sprouting and growing. So don't do that! Don't drill a hole, don't use salt, don't wet and don't use Duck tape. All the leaves, always die when you just cut the vines. Like is shown in this video. And as you can see in this video I cut the big vine just a couple inches above the ground. That was all that was needed to kill this big vine. It died and has never resprouted. I think its great to try new things but nobody I know uses duct tape. Maybe think of it as a last resort. But you should never need it following my videos and tips. Please feel free to ask any more questions and subscribe to my channel for more tips and videos.

It varies depending on how extensive the Ivy is.

Hi. That is a great question. The Ivy will not survive on the little roots that cling to the tree bark. Ivy needs moisture from the soil on the ground to survive. You will see all the Ivy vines die once you cut them off from the soil.

Sorry to hear about the damage. I have also seen Cottonwoods fall over or break off limbs with Ivy. Good luck with the clean up.

Sure. You can contact SOLVE in Oregon at solveoregon.org . You can also view a nice video showing the history and heroic activities of SOLVE at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4qanYZrgJJ8q5I

Way to go!

Humans are the best solution to take out Ivy naturally. Maybe some day robots will be capable of pulling and removing Ivy, but currently people are the best at winning the Ivy battles. Deer may eat a few leaves, but not millions of leaves. Goats eat many of the native plants too. There are no animals which can eat it away. I would watch my videos and first save the trees. This will prevent them from raining down seeds, and spreading more plants. And then focus on ground Ivy removal . Start removing the ground Ivy around your favorite trees and plants. And then your own sectioned off areas. Getting young people to help is also a great idea.

You're welcome

We have been successful at killing most all the big vines in the ground without ever using herbicides or any chemicals. The secret is to cut or chop the big vines at ground level. Or slightly below ground level. Normally that does it without having to dig a big vine out. It rots and dies there. To make extra sure you can chop on the big root with an axe or hatchet. Chop on it and vandalize it just below the ground surface( 2 to 3 " ) or so. Chop chop chop. It works and is really not hard. Ground level is the key. If it gets sunlight a few feet up the tree it is more likely to survive. We have been at it for over 23 years and have been saving trees by the thousands. The trees don't have big roots with sprouts anymore, and if any ever survive we go after them and all is well. Not using chemicals preserves the ecosystems and water quality that we and the wildlife depend on. Thanks for saving those trees.

@PacificCrestTrail12 Thanks for the great advice! Much appreciated. Would a rototiller work over a large area? We have about 2 acres of ivy infested land in our community.

Best of luck!

Thanks

Hi Rob, Nice job cutting the Ivy around the tree. You will enjoy seeing it die off and the tree will be happy. I don't recommend ever using any treatment to cut Ivy branches. The reason is we have been killing the vines successfully without using gels or any type of pesticide/herbicides. And it is better for the insects, birds, animals, soil, and ecosystems we depend on. I have over 22 years experience so I am speaking from what I know works. When ivy vines are left on a tree at knee height, I have noticed that they will almost always sprout more and keep growing. The solution is to not leave the vines cut at knee height. That is like tying a tomato plant to a stake in a garden. I would cut it at ground level, and I would create a protective lifesaver ring around the base of the tree. Pull out all the Ivy vines in a 3 foot circle around the base of the tree. Then the tree will be protected permanently as long as you maintain the Ivy free circle. It is easier to pull out Ivy from the ground when it is damp, but you can do it anytime. You can also use a claw hammer to help pull out vines from the ground. Or a Mattock tool. Check out my other videos showing these tools and techniques at PacificCrestTrail12. Especially see my video: How to kill big English Ivy roots naturally, and protect trees longer. I hope that helps and fire away with any and all questions. I know you can save that tree.

@@PacificCrestTrail12 Thanks Steve. I'll check out your other video and try and get the roots down to ground level (it's not easy, as some of the roots are thicker than my arm! I suspect the ivy had been left to grow for at least 20 years). As you said, I hope the tree itself can be saved as a lot of the bark at the front of the tree came off with the initial ivy I've already removed. The weight of the ivy caused a huge tree branch to break off in a storm. The tree still has green leaves, so I hope it can be saved.

@@RobStephens_com The vines may be 30 or more years old. If you can saw or chop the bigger vines at the base with an axe, that would help. Often the trees rebound when the Ivy leaves die, and the upper canopy can grow in the sunshine better. Best of luck with that one.

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4HOYYaefriDr6M You can watch my attached video on how to kill Ivy roots without chemicals. You can also use an axe to carefully chop the vines at or just below ground level. Try it! When Ivy is left at knee high it is still getting sunlight and may regrow.

Yes. They will die, get brittle, and should start to fall off over time. Anytime you cut a vine is a good thing. However, we always try to cut a section out of the vines if possible. Even a 6 inch section is nice, and helps for the future removal. And from chest high down to the ground is ideal, if it is possible. This allows wildlife in our area, such as the Brown Creeper and various woodpeckers to use the tree base right away. And it airs out the base of the tree which protects it from possible rot. But cutting all the vines is the main goal to killing the huge Ivy. You will kill the Ivy and watch it die. It will become brittle and rot. And you will win the war against Ivy.

I see those Bahco saws can be ordered on Ebay if people are interested. It would be fun to try one. We have used straight blade saws on the bigger vines as well ,and they do work. Also a 6 inch cut through the bigger vines is great. The main thing is to cut the vines and save the trees. There are many types of trees and different Ivy situations. The tree in this video was just as easy to cut 6 inches as well as 4 foot sections. In our areas the larger gaps help keep moisture from rotting the base of some trees. And birds such as woodpeckers and Brown Creepers love landing on the trees at the base again. I have a video showing some rotting bark of an old Douglas fir coming off with a vine , but that is quite rare. Whatever type of tree you have it is always great to prevent any bark damage. Nice job over there and thank you for the comments, and your great work.

Sounds like a good strategy. It is nice to work with weak and dead Ivy.

That is a wonderful goal for all our trees.

hindsight, the specialty of morons.

Yes. We like those. My friend Monte and I discovered the benefits of the mini chainsaws last year. He came up with the idea. We discovered how useful they are in addition to our other tools, at cutting huge, old, and tough Ivy vines on trees. We think the Mini Chainsaw is a game changer for the big vines. I have plans to demonstrate the saw and other tools and strategies in my next video. Everyone has to be sure they only do what their bodies can safely handle when removing Ivy. But for responsible and skilled adults, the mini - chainsaw is another great tool to use in saving trees and the natural world. If you want to see upcoming videos on big Ivy removal techniques, you can subscribe to my channel and make sure you see them. Thank you for saving trees!

No problems with being itchy. Wearing gloves is a very good idea to protect your hands, and to make it easier.

Glad to help

Hi, Great questions! The leaves turn brown at different rates. In summer when it is hot, the leaves die fast and turn brown faster than in winter. Vines can't survive once they are cut off from the soil. They can not get needed water and nutrients from the bark.

Yes it does!

Hi. I would check every inch of the bark . I have seen a vine that was completely hidden by moss and the Ivy still lives on tree. Sometimes Ivy looks like bark. If there are still no vines found, I would pry all the vines away from the bark a little at chest high. Summer sun should dry them out. If vines have rooted somehow on the tree , remove those. But I have never seen vines survive once they are cut all around a tree. Sometimes it takes months though. Good luck.

@@PacificCrestTrail12 Thank-you,tree is on property line, there was one hidden chute,on other side, i cut it yesterday,thanks for the reply. was a bonehead move on my part ,not seeing it, but all the others were cut long ago.

@@skadill Sometimes a vine can be missed. Way to go!

Thank you for being a Hero and saving trees!

@@PacificCrestTrail12 thx i enjoy it gives me something to do and i love walking their

Normally bark does not come off the trees. But there are many different types of trees. It is important to remove Ivy with care. And we don't remove any Ivy above chest high. A flat pry bar can help to remove Ivy from the bark. Ivy varies in size as well. From little vines to massive intertwined logs. The trees we have all get saved and thrive. But the main thing is to cut the vines. You can use your own judgment on your particular tree. I almost always take the vines off the base and it works wonderfully.

Sounds great! An 8 inch vine could be 60 years old. Keep up the great work!

It varies depending on how warm it is, and how extensive the Ivy is. It wilts in a couple days during summer. Longer in winter. Over time it will become brittle and start falling off. Times vary.

Great question. You can see my other video on removing large ivy. Here is my extra tips for the real big and bad Ivy. 1. Take it apart in chunks or pieces. 2. Use a corona pruning saw. The professional model with the curved blade is awesome. 3. Use a crow bar or a pry bar to help pry the vines from the tree and make them easier to cut. 4. Use a steel Looper to cut the smaller vines. Fiskars makes a great one. Home Depot has them. You can cut 1 and 3 quarters inch vines easily. 5. You can use an axe to chop into the vines that are huge. This will speed up the progress on the 5 inch vines. And then you can finish the mostly chopped vine with a pruning saw. You could also use an Eastwick Hatchett to help. 6. Start by getting the leaves off, then the smaller vines where you can , and then break sections off in pieces. Like undoing a puzzle. You will kill a lot of Ivy when you get around the base of the tree. And you will feel quite good. Take your time, and have fun. Some people also use mini handheld chainsaws , like the gowaxee, With all tools, only use the ones you know how to safely use. Hope that helps!

Yes we need to cut those vines.

Yes . Cut the vines and watch the vines die over time. Just like the video shows. To keep Ivy from growing back, pull all the ground Ivy surrounding the base of the tree.

No need for any poisons. Just make sure 100% of the vines are removed from the trees base. Sometimes there are vines hidden in the moss on the side of the tree. So really check closely if there is moss. Also note that Ivy dies much quicker in the summer months when cut.

Very good. Sawzalls help, and other options include the mini chainsaws, or an axe, or a hatchett, or steel Loppers, and prybars. When the Ivy is 60 years old and a monster, we may have to resort to a variety of tools that are appropriate for the situation. But only use tools that you can safely use. Keep up the great work!

Great Job. You are the one in the know. Ivy keeps spreading. Bye bye Ivy!

Hi. I have not heard of that one before. From what I have seen online I would try a Mattock tool and dig it out. Chop into it and pull out vines. Hope that helps. Good luck!

It is really up to you. Certainly cutting it around the bottom is a great improvement. I like cutting Ivy chest high to the ground and removing the cut vines. The advantages are that it lets sunlight hit the trees base, and it lets birds feed on insects on the bark. It also makes it easier in future years to remove any new Ivy vines that try to climb up the tree. A flat pry bar can be used to carefully pry the vines off the bark. Another technique is to pry the vines off with the tip of your loppers. Trees seem to breathe better when vines are missing at the base. I also believe there is less moisture, rot, and disease potential. But tree Ivy may be easy or really big, so any girdling of the really difficult vines can be declared a victory. Bark damage is rarely a issue if you are careful.

@@PacificCrestTrail12 but will that be enuff to kill the vine?

@@TomisaLami If you cut all the vines. Then all the vines will die above your cuts on the trees. But it is also better to pull the Ivy away from the base , and cut and remove them. That is called a lifesaver circle around the base. it could be 1 foot, 3 feet. or 6 feet wide, and that keeps the Ground Ivy from growing back up the tree.

You pull out the roots to kill each Ivy vine for good. Most vines can be pulled out or dug out with a tool. For larger or giant vines, cut them next to the base of the tree. A few inches above the ground level if you can is best. The big vines will die in the ground. You can also chop in the exposed part of the cut root with a hatchet or axe to make extra sure it will die. But for 20 years we have had a 100% success rate using this method. It works great. If you pull out all your ground Ivy , it will all be gone. Then just monitor yearly for any new random starts.

Hi. Ideally you want to pull out the surrounding ground Ivy. Then your trees are protected for good. Smaller roots can be pulled out , especially in damp soils. If you have large vines rooted in the ground next to the base, try cutting them next to the ground. Say 3 inches or so. Without sunlight they usually die. You can also chop in to the giant vine a bit with your loppers, Axe, or Hatchett for extra insurance. The more you damage the cut root stumps , the less likely it will survive any chance to regrow anything. We have had great results over many years. Hope that helps!

If I can get 500 likes I will make a ground Ivy Video and show how to deal with the roots. I want more likes. Hah! Thanks and to answer your question most roots should be pulled from the ground. It is easiest when the soil is damp , especially in fall, winter, spring, and early summer. If you have large vines and roots next to a tree , cut the vines with a pruning saw as close to the ground as you can. This surprisingly kills most big vines. You can chop on it with a hatchet or axe to make sure it dies and rots in the ground. Also form a lifesaver around the base of the tree by pulling and clipping Ivy . It could be 6 feet wide with no ground Ivy around the base. Hope that helps. LIke Like Like for more videos :)

Great! A Hatchet can work and help with the big vines.

Great question. It is good to make cuts in the Ivy. But it is essential to cut every vine around the base of the tree. Even leaving one vine allows the Ivy to continue to spread, Cutting all the vines kills all the Ivy above and you are the winner.

@@PacificCrestTrail12 So I have cut every visible vine and the ivy - almost every bit of it still looks healthy 2 days later. Some of the leaves are sagging a bit.

​@@beb1527 Sagging leaves are the first sign of success. It does take some time and patience to wait for the Ivy to die. But once you have cut all the vines around the base, all the vines above will die. All the leaves should start sagging, maybe in a week or two. Summer is the time when Ivy dies the quickest. Bigger vines may take longer than smaller ones to die. You should see sagging leaves, then brown leaves, then falling leaves, then rotting and falling brittle Ivy over time. It is rewarding to save a tree from early Ivy death.

You are very welcome. Wishing you all the best!

Best of luck!

Yes.

Way to go Rob!

Hi Nick, Great question. No Herbicides, no chemicals, or any poisons have ever been used to kill the lower roots. We have found that cutting the big vines a few inches from the ground kills all the big vines. They die and rot. Smaller vines are easy to pull away and remove. The main threat is new small vines crawling across the ground and starting new vines up the trees. We have been successful for over 20 years cutting the big vines and they all died without any chemicals. It is good to cut them near the base of the tree. 3 to 6 inches for example. You can chop or cut on the vine stump if you want to be extra sure it will die. A hatchet or axe can be used. Hope that helps.

@@PacificCrestTrail12 Good to know. Thank you for the response.

That sounds pretty bad. Left unchecked Ivy can overtake a house, a neighborhood, and more. If you do not want it growing on your house one option is to cut it at ground level. You could also pull the Ivy out from the border of the house. 3 feet from your house for example. Or ideally you could work to pull out and dig out all the Ivy on your property. Cutting the vines kills the Ivy and stops its advance. Hope that helps!

Nice. Lol. Depending on your needs, you may wish to consider some other tools like.....A Fiskars metal lopper that cuts 1 3/4 inch limbs. Or a flat pry bar like is shown in my video on the right side of the tree. (Or Crow bars for big vines) Sometimes a Estwing Hatchett comes in handy for certain Big vines. The Pruning saw and the loppers are my favorites for most vines. Wearing a basic Covid mask may also protect you from any dust. Especially in summer months. Take it easy and best of luck.

Estwing makes a great hatchet. I like using a Hatchet to kill invasive English Holly trees. Chop the tree down, and then using the Hatchet chop in to the bark around the stump. This kills the stump and prevents a new Holly tree from growing. It works, and no chemicals are needed. You may get one sprout after a year but chop in to that and that has killed all the Holly tree stumps 100% of the time.

Hi Amy, I would try to carefully remove the Ivy from chest high down to the ground if you can. This has worked great. I would not remove it above chest high. It will die and rot over time. If you attempted to pull all the Ivy off the tree while it is just cut, that would likely entail some damaged bark. But Ivy cut from chest high to the ground can almost always be done, and with little or no damage to the bark. Hope that helps.

@@PacificCrestTrail12 Thanks for the fast response. Hopefully I can still save the tree. It already has several branches that have already detached but are just hanging there due to the ivy. It's also starting to intertwine with my power line.

@@amyg8746 Ivy will take over your yard , neighborhood, town, and State if we let it . So getting to it asap is always a great idea. Good luck at saving the tree!