IVY

[MattyF]

We got told at college that it doesn’t harm the tree at all (Merrist wood ‘95) raised a few eyebrows at the time.
 
As Jules says how can another plant with that amount of leaf and it’s roots sharing the same space not be in some sort of competition with the tree? 
 
 

I remember being told that there.. one of the first trees I did after back in the real world was a Scots pine that had one of the worse ivy infestations I’ve ever seen literally 3” deep spiral indented in to the cambium going up for the last 10 ft of crown after been strangled to death by ivy ... I was going to cut a section out and send it to the Arb department.

[devon TWiG]

this very subject cropped up on a different forum a while back with "eco" extremists claiming it is a wonder plant and never harms trees , I think a picture says more than words

[devon TWiG]

Although I am probably one of the only people ever to have made and sold anything made from Ivy 

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Are you allergic to ivy sime? A couple of colleagues of mine hate the stuff because the have an allergic reaction to it. I don't suffer myself but I wonder if others on here have a skin reaction when working with the plant?

It does not kill the tree outright but does compete with it for light, water and nutrients, thereby slowing the growth of the tree until eventually it may outcompete it. 

[Rough Hewn]

I was told many years ago by a government advisor/ecologist, that ivy doesn't harm trees.
Experience would show otherwise.
The habitat argument is valid as it produces early fruit,late flowers and somewhere for creatures to hide/nest.
Hack it down, there's a lot of it.
Nice work twig.
[emoji106]

[sime42]

That's a nice looking piece Twig. How do you clean it up so good?

[sime42]

I don't get a skin reactions or anything but it does make me cough after cutting it for a while. Sometimes I can actually feel a slight pain in my chest, that's not nice at all. Not sure if it's the pollen or the dust causing it. I use a face dust mask now if I'm doing serious ivy work.

[felixthelogchopper]

12 minutes ago, sime42 said:

I don't get a skin reactions or anything but it does make me cough after cutting it for a while. Sometimes I can actually feel a slight pain in my chest, that's not nice at all. Not sure if it's the pollen or the dust causing it. I use a face dust mask now if I'm doing serious ivy work.

You and me both.

[TIMON]

We have about 40+ mature oaks at our place (all TPO’d). A lot of them are infested with ivy and are obviously suffering as a result. We’ve gone round and severed the ivy at ground level then once it has died off for a while we start to strip it carefully.
I’ve also heard the arguments for and against ivy. It’s certainly part of the life and death cycle of the forest and I get what people say about habitat etc.. but for the tree it must surely spell the beginning of the end.
One question I would like to ask is... does the sudden influx of light harm a tree once large amounts have been stripped? I.e sunburn etc.. ??

[TIMON]

Interesting thread Sime! [emoji106]