ivy and weed killer

[crazygirly]

Could anybody please tell me which or what is the best and effective product to use for killing weeds and ivy as the passage way behind my house has become over run with weeds and ivy.

[Adnyl]

Unfortunately, new EU regs mean we can't really get effective weedkillers these days, they are all diluted for us to be "safe", so are about as much use as a mop on the Titanic. Cut the ivy at the base, or as close to the root as you can, and drag it off the wall/ concrete/whatever, it will die, but it is aconstant job, you need to keep on top of it. Glysophate NEAT is the best if you can get hold of it for other weeds, don't waste money on the ready-mixed stuff. Digging weeds out the hard way is the only sure method I konw. I don't know where you live, but if you are near to a Nursery or a farm, it may be worth approaching them to spray your troublesome weeds with their professional stuff, as it is way stronger than we can buy and they will have a licence to use it. The only other method I know is to cut down as far as you can and get one of those gas cannister weed burners to burn the root down as far down as you can get. I have a garden that thinks it's been a field for 40 years, so I do sympathise!

[Hawkwalk]

Roundup will work well. I have got rid of my ivy climbing up the side of the house by cutting it down to about 6 inches and then spraying.

[LoftyLottie]

I don't know what my neighbour used to spray the Ivy growing up his wall - all I know is that he killed a lot of my adjoining garden at the same time! Adnyl's method of cutting it at the base and pulling it off the wall is correct. You can then treat it, as Hawkwalk suggests, with roundup (but as far as I know the roundup you can buy in the garden centres is far less concentrated than the professional stuff and it certainly hasn't worked on some of my jungle!)

[atolhurst]

I had excatly the same problem with Ivy on our garage wall.

Cut the stuff out/down and cut the ivy roots to the base. Then drill a couple of holes into the remainng stump(s) for absorbing purposes.

We were recommended roundup too - you can buy it as a concentrate (which normally you dilute) and use it neat on the stumps - however, its not cheap (in B&Q for around �18 per bottle). So we got the B&Q equivilent which seems to have done the job.

Don't put it down when its wet or if its likely to rain within the next 6-8 hours as that will wash anything you put down away.