Ivy Plant Care

Native to Europe, an ivy plant, or a climber as it is classified adorns many homes, walls, fences, pathways and trailers all across. Its bright green glossy ivy leaves that now comes in a variety of variegated cultivates, have made this plant a 'must', if one is seeking to add an old home charm to their houses. Not to mention, a well established and shaped ivy can hide plenty of sore points in the landscape. The common ivy or the English ivy is botanically known as Hedera helix, and belongs to the Araliaceae family, the same family that contains the poison ivy. To ensure that this evergreen climbing plant thrives and flourishes, it must be cared for.

A single ivy plant can grow up to 20 - 30 meters,and has many twining delicate canes. The leaves borne are alternate, 50 - 100 mm long, depending upon the species. The leaves can be palmately five-lobed juvenile leaves as well as unlobed cordate adult leaves (found mostly on fertile flowering stems). The greenish-yellow-whitish, rich in nectar flowers are produced from late summer until late autumn, and the black to orange-yellow berries that carry about 2 - 3 seeds ripen in late winter. Given below is more information on how to take care of an ivy plant, which will be especially of use to you if you have been looking for information on ivy indoor plant care.

How to Grow and Propagate an Ivy Plant

An ivy house plant can be easily propagated by taking a stem or bare root cutting in spring or summer. Take a 10 inch stem from a year old cane, clear all the lower leaves and put in a glass jar filled with plain water or mixed with rooting hormones. Stand the jar with cuttings near a sunlit window sill. Change water every alternate days, the roots will sprout within a week. One can even layer the cuttings, pin a part by gently bending and creating a small incision into the stem, to the ground. Sever daughter plant from the parent plant after the roots sprout, in a couple of weeks that is.

How to Care for an Ivy Plant

Ivy grows best in full sun, but not harsh. If you plan to plant a hanging pot, a single plant per pot is more than enough. To use them as ground cover or climbers, plant as per the size of the intended location. Soil should be a part of de-weeded soil, peat moss or leaf mold and gravel. Till the soil deep when planting in the ground. To induce healthy growth, pinch off main leaf shoot. Allow lots of lateral branching. Fertilize well for a flush in growth.

Pruning is essential for proper growth of the plant. As a vigorous climber, it grows really fast, and runs out of shape quite often. Plus it can easily get entangled and mess up the shape. Hanging ivy plants require light pruning, to just make the plant more bushier and uniform in its fall. Ivy on wall, fence or ground cover, need to be pruned to keep the air and light movement well circulated and in shape too. Provide a support system like trellis, or nailed walls with nylon threads running through, as the ivy plant gets heavier and denser with age. To change the complete shape of the ivy plant, a hard prune after the last frost is recommended.

Small pest like spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, scale and white flies are permanent residents of an ivy plant, especially the big climbers. The plant is also susceptible to bacterial leaf spot and stem canker because the dense foliage traps moisture. Depending upon the size of the ivy plant, adequate precautions need to be taken.

Ivy plant care will prove to be effective for the fast growing plant that one uses as ground cover to control erosion, cover vertical surfaces like walls or fences, or grow in a container indoors or outdoors. Wherever you grow them, you will definitely enjoy the happy green cascade!