How Do I Remove Thick Ivy Vines Growing on My Large Trees?
I have several large trees covered with thick ivy vines growing all over the trucks and hanging off the tree. I was told this much ivy is sucking up the water and possibly killing the tree. I cut it all off from the bottem but the thicker vines are stuck to the tree and the trunk and seem to be getting nutrients from the tree directly. How do I get rid of this vine and save my tree??
You’ve done the cutting. Now let them wilt. Ivy will not suck nutrients from the tree bark directly, it only anchors itself to it. After a week or so, the vines will be wilted and more flexible (even more so if it doesn’t rain and you have sunny warm weather) so you can stand at the bottom and pull down the vines without too much breakage. There will be a lot of stuff coming down so protect your eyes. You might try pulling out any roots from the ivy that are still on the ground or leave it there for ground cover. There growing in the shade, you can control it better and it won’t need as much water as before. Have Fun!
If you have cut the stalks at the ground then they will eventually die
Try prying the vines off of the tree. If this doesn’t work, buy some ivy killer and paint the leaves, using a paintbrush. This should kill the vines, without hurting the trees.