Boston ivy and Virginia creeper are closely related and are both perennial, meaning that they shed their leaves in the fall. Their leaves change from lush green to different shades of red, crimson, and purple.
English ivy is also the most invasive type of ivy, so much so that it is even banned from planting in certain areas.
In general, brickwork that was done after 1930 is usually sturdy and sound enough to grow ivy on, as long as it has no visible damage. Brick walls built before 1930 are more likely to have issues, such as crumbling mortar, because traditional lime-based mortar is softer than modern cement-based mortar.
Alternatively, you could plant your own ivy in pots from seeds or cuttings, then transplant them to the ground near your brick wall once they have developed a strong root system in the pots.
Ivy will grow in pretty much any type of soil, as long as it is well-draining. An example of poor-draining soil is soil with a high concentration of clay. If you can easily dig in your soil, it is probably just fine for your ivy. If you don’t want to or aren’t able to plant your ivy in the soil, you can grow it next to the wall in a large pot filled with any type of potting soil. Ivy needs something to attach itself to so if you plant it any farther than a foot it won’t be able to find its way to the wall. Some ivy species might require a trellis to get started so it has something to climb on. Keep in mind that English Ivy are incredibly difficult to remove if you decide to let it grow in or near your house. This species is also very invasive and can grow into the home.
Multiple ivy plants will grow faster and healthier when they are not crowded together. Their roots like to spread out a lot underground.
If you’re planting more than one ivy plant, repeat this process for each plant and hole.
It’s not necessary to use fertilizer, but you can sprinkle a small amount of all-purpose fertilizer onto the soil before watering if you want to provide some more nutrients for the ivy to get started.
You can use any type of store-bought mulch or a homemade mulch, such as compost or grass clippings.
For example, if you planted your ivy at the end of spring, water it throughout the summer, until fall begins. If you planted your ivy at the beginning of fall, water it through the end of fall, until winter begins. After the first growing season, once the ivy has established itself, you don’t need to water it anymore. The ivy’s root system will be developed enough to get all the water it needs on its own.
It’s much easier to prune ivy when the shoots are not covered by foliage, so you can see what you’re doing and cut back certain shoots to shape the plant and control its direction of growth. This will also ensure you are pruning the ivy before its growing season, so you can influence the direction it grows in.
Ivy can easily find small cracks in wood and grow into them, which can damage things like wood siding and trim. It can also become very heavy and pull down things like gutters or damage your roofing.
For example, if you see a new horizontal shoot going straight towards a window, cut it back to the nearest older vertical shoot.
