Festive Ivy

This creeping vine is a hardy quick growing plant and can be trained round a frame, up a wall or even along the ground or a rockery.

Ivy is a woodland plant and you often see it growing up trees and walls where it will do well in all but direct sunlight. Indoors they will prefer a cool room away from very strong sunlight and radiators.

How often you need to water your ivy will depend on the room conditions. You should aim to keep the soil damp at all times, watering up to 3 times a week in winter and up to every day in Summer. The best way to judge whether your plant needs watering is to get used to the weight of the pot and water only when it feels light. It is fine to place them in a shallow saucer of water or to put a little bit of extra water in the bottom of the pail if you will be away for a few days.

As the days get longer your ivy will continue to put on new growth which can be tucked around the metal frame or trimmed to maintain its shape. You would expect to re-pot your plant once a year in the Spring using multipurpose compost to keep it’s roots healthy and long term it will be happiest outdoors in a nice shady spot where it can climb. Ivy is quite vigorous and will cover a wall or fence quite quickly, but it is very tough so don’t be afraid to prune it back to keep it in shape.