Can ivy be planted in the summer?

[Roger Sheldon]

Hi,

I have a steep slope, about 100 ft by 8 feet that gets lots of sun. I want some kind of good looking ground cover that will control erosion. I've pretty much decided on ivy since it is cheap, looks good, and is ok in the sun.

Is it ok to plant ivy in the middle of the summer? (I've spent the last 3 months getting the area prepped.) There are sprinklers nearby which I'll use to keep the bed well watered.

Also, if you feel that there's a better choice than ivy, please let me know.

My plan for planting is:

1. put down 1-2 inches of a dirt/peat moss mixture
2. put down 2 layers of burlap with decomposable stakes at the top to keep it from sliding
3. plant lots of plants, closer than the recommended 12-18" apart because I want it to grow in full as soon as possible
4. cover up the burlap with 1" of mulch.

I'm a newbie to all this, but this seems like a reasonable plan; again, feel free to steer me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance,

Roger

[Penny Morgan]

I would change a couple of things. First, I would put down a good 5+" of a mixture of composted manure and peat or potting soil. I would then cover the entire bed or area with weed block material. It's sold in rolls at HD or Lowes (100' x 3' approx. $20). Use the pins to hold the material in place. The pins are about $10 for 75+ pins. They sell them near the weed block. The reason I recommend the weed block on top of the soil is that in a very short time, you will have grass and weeds popping up with your ivy. When you plant your ivy, use a knife to cut a "t" shape in the fabric and plant into the soil below. After you've planted all the plants, mulch with at least 3" of whatever you want to use (pine or hardwood mulch works good).

I don't know what zone you're in, but most of the time, it's better to plant toward the fall. If you feel you must do it now, then I would definitely keep those sprinklers going at least 3 times a week for a long slow soaking. The idea is to water deeply so the roots reach down deeper so they don't dry out so quickly. By next spring, they should be growing and filling in nicely.

P.S. Other ground covers that work well are St. John's Wort, Mint, Verbena (Homestead Purple), Creeping Jenny, Dianthus (my favorite is Mountain Mist), Blue Rug Juniper or Liriope (variegated or green). You may or may not like them better, but it's worth taking a look at.

[Bob]

Where I live, planting of ivy is strongly discouraged. It will quickly overgrow any other plants/trees in the area, and eventually kill them. It has spread to parks and forest areas where it is difficult to control. A non-climbing ground cover might make more sense.

Bob

[Roger Sheldon]

Won't the weed block material also hinder the spread of the ivy?

thanks

roger

[Marcy Hege]

I always considered ivy to be a ground cover for shade. Isn't there a sun-loving ground cover that would be better for your spot?