Ivy On trees – Further Discussion

If I may thank Geraldine Leighton for her response to my article on the growth of ivy in our area. Her comments are much appreciated -- particularly those regarding the time of year when any action, if any is to be taken.

Appreciate there are insects to whom it is of value but there is plenty of ivy growing within woods and fields to keep them happy, so can I suggest focus should be on trees on the sides of the roads as sadly this can't always wait. We live on Hunsterson road, Hatherton and, have problems (see photographs) with ivy creeping up telegraph poles, strangling cabling.

Many 'chunks' of trees have fallen into the road as the ivy weighs them down and approx. 6 weeks ago quite a large tree fell into the road blocking it. There was a mass of ivy growing on it. You could see where much of the ivy had become woody -- some of the 'stems' having grown 4" -- 6" diameter over the years. The tree was not dead it was the sheer weight !

When flagged to a local estate manager a while ago that the ivy on some of their trees on the side of lanes was so extensive they were becoming unsafe and there was a risk of some of them coming down, they acknowledged the potential hazard and sent someone out quickly to deal with it by cutting through the ivy stems growing up them.

Hopefully with careful thought our wildlife, nature and ourselves can all live in harmony!

Thank you

Debra Holland