Ivy Likes it Dry

Q: We had beautiful swaths of ivy alongside our driveway and as ground cover on a slope in our backyard. About five years ago, we lost all of the ivy along our driveway. Now we are losing the ivy in the back. Is there anything we can do to prevent the ivy in the back from dying? Can we replace the ivy along the driveway, or will it die? 

A: There are three common ivy diseases: Stem rot is caused by fungi, anthracnose is caused by fungi, and bacteria cause bacterial leaf spot. The bottom line to remember is that all three of these diseases are associated with too much water in the soil or on the leaves. This means that your very first effort should be to stop water from flowing under the ivy and cease any overhead irrigation, if present. The ivy will slowly recover if it is kept dry. For the fastest recovery, apply a pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer over 100 square feet of ivy bed, then spray the entire area with a liquid copper fungicide/bactericide.