Today’s column was supposed to be about inspecting trees in winter for damage and decay and what to do if you discover a problem. This is an important topic, but I have addressed it once or twice in the last two or three years, so I decided to focus on my old nemesis, English ivy (Hedera helix). A bed of English ivy creates a nostalgic desire for a vine-covered cottage, a garden filled with colorful perennials, and a white picket fence surrounding everything.
The early colonists had no inkling of the future damage they were perpetrating in 1727 when they introduced English ivy, an ornamental vine with the added bonus of medicinal properties, to the New World. Today, English ivy is considered a noxious vine with massive infestations throughout the Eastern United States and the Pacific Northwest.
We have reduced our English ivy problem by about 50% to 60% over the past 30 years, but removing the tenacious vines is often a back-breaking job, because there is no guaranteed easy method of r...