Weakened plants and trees are more susceptible to problems such as pests or diseases. It is best to always remove ivy from the tree and keep it away from the tree trunk, at least 3 to 4 feet (1-1.5 m). Whether you need to remove ivy from trees or not depends on your situation. The severity of ivy damage to trees depends on how and where it is growing, and how much ivy is in the crown of the tree.
But eventually, you'll have to get rid of the ivy from your tree. A little ivy can look good on a tree, and some people love the way it looks. In any case, once too much ivy grows on your tree, you should remove it. Usually, this is when ivy starts to grow in the canopy of the tree.
When removing ivy from trees, it must be done carefully to avoid damage to both the trunk and the roots. In addition, it should be noted that English ivy sap can cause a rash in sensitive people, so you should wear gloves and long sleeves. Our arborists recommend removing all English ivy from your garden, as it can spread quickly. If you have to remove a large amount of English ivy, first give priority to removing it from your trees.
As for aesthetics, you might consider pruning the ivy that grows on your trees to have a healthy tree bark. What's more, ivy can block the bark, and if you have a birch, for example, this will simply not look attractive and the beauty of your birch will not be fully revealed or noticed. So, for aesthetic reasons, consider cutting, pruning, or completely removing ivy around trees for better, more pleasing visual effects. I was the one who had to use a chainsaw to remove a five-foot ivy band around the base of a huge sycamore tree.
However, in many cases where trees are in a less stringent management area, especially when wildlife conservation is the primary goal, there is no need to remove ivy. There is a term known as the “lifesaving method” that can be performed to remove ivy from trees. Ivy is of tremendous value to wildlife, providing an important year-round refuge for a large number of creatures, including birds, small mammals and invertebrates. The ivy on the trunk will die if at least one foot of growth between the ground and what is left on the trunk is cut and removed very gently from the bark.
We have been working to eliminate ivy in Trinidad State Beach and Patrick's Point State Park for the past 9 years. As the vine dries on the tree, the dead ivy can be easily removed from the tree with a slight pull. If the roots of ivy are intertwined with the roots of the tree, complete removal can be a laborious and even impossible task, and this method is unlikely to definitively eliminate the ivy root system. You did well to carefully check the bark when removing it for the first time, since the bark is like skin that you don't want to damage it.
After ringing the English ivy from the tree, remove all of the English ivy within a six-foot radius around the tree.
