Grab some thick gardening gloves. Ivy sap can be a nasty little irritant—think poison ivy’s annoying cousin who always crashes your party.
You’ll also need a sharp pruner or a small saw. This is war, not a spa day.
Cut It Off at the Neck
Find the main stems near the ground. These are often thick as your thumb (or worse, like a wrist). Cut them all the way through.
This is the crucial strangulation move. You are severing the ivy’s food supply from its roots. The leaves up high will eventually die and turn a sad, crispy brown. You get to watch it starve. Take that, ivy.
Detach the Deadweight
Once you’ve cut the base, gently pry the vines off your wall or tree. Friction is your friend here. Pull downward, not outward—you don’t want to rip off paint or bark.
For brick walls, a stiff wire brush works wonders. For trees, be very careful. You don’t want to scrape off the tree’s protective layer (the bark). Just remove the ivy tendrils that are clinging on.
Some ivy leaves will cling like a toddler having a tantrum. That’s okay. Leave them. They’ll dry up in a week or two and fall off on their own.
