Ivy?

[lumberjackson]

I have about an acre of Ivy to remove.it is THICK. I got it off all the trees, but I don't really want to pull it off the ground, because there is so much of it, but it still needs to go away. Should I spray it? will the waxy leaves absorb it? what should I use?
Thanks

 

[Blinky]

Goats dude, 3-4 days and it will be gone. Generally they'll even clean the tree up to about 5'.

To eradicate it you have to keep the foliage gone for a few years to let the organism starve. Don't let it make ANY food and it will die.

 

[mpriley02]

I second the vote for goats. Ivy is tough to eradicate with herbicides.

Goat Rental in Oregon

 

[guymayor]

if the goats cant come back to get regrowth, the time to spray is when leaves are expanding. but it may be better to get the goats back.

 

[tomthetreeman]

Funny, the goat thing is (as far as I know) a Mexican farmer's technique. Some people in Cozumel use goats to clear overgrown lots of weed grasses, etc, so they don't get fined by the Public Works/Environmental Dept.

-Tom

 

[RopeShield]

Smaller patches can be covered with heavy tarp pieces a full season will starve the plant and then you should get good kill if you decide to spray, rototill etc.
Light exclusion is enviro friendly way.
Tarp pieces available at truck tarp manufacturing and repair facilities.

We also have Rhamnus cathartica, European purging buckthorn it is pretty evil the way it destroys a forest. Works okay here after you fluch cut it

 

[treegazer]

Start pullin. It comes out way easier than you would think. For the stubborn roots a swift swing with a mattock or adz makes fast work of it. once the ivy is gone the native understory starts to come back. There are lots of dormant seeds waiting for the right moment.
do it in sections so it's not so overwhelming.
It Can Be Done!

 

[lumberjackson]

we thought about goats, and almost got some two years ago. Our neighbors have goats and the goats have eaten all the bark off their beautiful redcedar trees which aren't going to live much longer. Also with goats, you have to put up fencing, and give them water, etc... maybe I'll look into it some more, and find trained goats...

but seriously, that would be the best option, and hopefully we can find a way to easily confine, controll, and care for them. that would be super cool!

if not goats, pulling is an option, but I dont think it is very efficient method in this situation... I have pulled plenty of ivy elsewhere. Would crossbow or or a 2,4-D/glyphosate herbicide be effective?

 

[jeff_r]

pulling is definitely not efficient, but it is effective. Find some of the main root centers and apply a herbicide solution with a brush after drilling holes. Do it when the plant is pushing growth in the spring and hopefully the herbicide will be sucked up. Hire a hippy to keep the goat on a leash. . .

 

[treegazer]

Your best bet with an herbicide would be to weed whack off all the existing foliage, then when new foliage begins to emerge hit it with the herbicide. I have heard of folks mixing pentrabark in with the herbicide to control ivy and winter creeper and have had better effective kill.
No matter how you do it, it's a lot of work, but well worth it. Good luck!

 

[Blinky]

The goat crews around here come with a fence and supervision, they go back home at night. Trees that goats will damage are shrouded. It's not cheap.

 

[lumberjackson]

thanks for your feedback. I wasnt sure about how well the foilage would absorb the herbicide, and I think that treegazer's method will work well this summer when the ivy. as for the hippies, Im sure there are many around here (portland) willing to do it for free, but its the goats that are expensive...