Expert: Tracy - 10/31/2006

Question
I have a problem keeping Ivies alive. I love the look of them but everyone I get dies in a short time. Can you give me any advice to keep them alive? I have heard a lot of people say they propagate ivy all the time but I have never got one to root. Can you give me advice on rooting ivy too?

Answer
Hi Sidney
I used to have problems keeping Ivy as well. Here are a few things about successfully growing Ivy. Ivy like cooler temperatures than tropical houseplants so try to keep them in a cooler area of your home if that is convenient but definitely keep them out of high temperatures. Mist Ivy regularly. Be sure to allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry between watering but do not allow the soil to dry completely. Ivy does best with medium light and little direct sunlight. The light from an east facing window is best. The last and most important thing is to check your Ivy often for insects. Spider mites especially love Ivy and along with root rot is the leading cause of a dying Ivy.
The easiest way to propagate Ivy is to take a tip cutting about 4 - 6 inches long, remove the bottom leaves leaving 2 or 3 leaves at the tip, dip the cut end in rooting hormone and put the end in water and change the water every other day. I have found that using distilled water works best. It can take a couple weeks for roots to appear. Wait until the roots are about 1 inch long before removing the cutting from the water and planting it in soil. Ivy can be rooted in soil as well, just do everything like you would for water except stick the cutting in soil instead of water. If you choose to root Ivy in soil you will have to keep the cutting in high humidity. You can do this by covering the cutting with a plastic bag or use some kind of container that has a dome like lid, the plastic containers used by your grocery store deli for sandwichs is ideal. They will probably give you a couple of them if you ask.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.
Tracy