English Ivy is very popular and usually added to gardens and home landscapes, being popular for how it can climb the sides of buildings. They are also amazing to add at home as hanging planters or wall climbers, offering health benefits such as air purification and added aesthetics to the house.
If ever you have English Ivy growing, you’re probably wondering how long it would take them to grow and how you can make it grow even faster.
Read on as I show you a quick guide on how to make English Ivy grow faster!
The Growth Rate of English Ivy
The growth rate of English Ivy will depend on where you grow it. Fast-growing English Ivy would grow between 8-9 feet a year when they are established. However, it would take around 3 years for it to become established. In the first year, the plant will grow slowly, speeding up once it heads to its second year, then going up to full speed in its third year.
When indoors, it may grow slower compared to varieties grown outdoors because of the limit of their pot’s size. Furthermore, the growing environment, conditions, and care given to English Ivy can make or break its growth rate and overall health.
For English Ivy plants that are growing on a fence outdoors, it takes about 3 months for it to become established. Afterward, the growth rate significantly increases and becomes quicker. The plant will grow 9 feet and its leaves growing up to 3 feet yearly.
However, the plant’s growth is stunted during winter and won’t fare well when exposed to the harsh winter, preferring longer growing seasons. Again, this is why you’ll want to grow it indoors rather than outside, especially if you want it to grow very quickly all year long!
How to Make English Ivy Grow Faster
Now that you know how fast an English Ivy can grow, the next question is how to make English Ivy grow faster. Here are the influencing factors over the plant’s growth rate and what to do to keep it flourishing:
1. Watering
Avoid watering English Ivies too often, which would risk its damage and death. However, that doesn’t mean you should deprive it of water. Just like all plants, English Ivy requires water and regularly.
The watering routine varies, depending on the plant growth.
If your English Ivy is young, the soil needs to stay moist all the time. Meaning, you’ll need to check its soil regularly, ensuring it doesn’t stay dry or it will harm its growth.
When the plant is established, allow the soil to dry out completely before watering it again. This is crucial because if the soil turns marshy fast, the plant ends up dying from root rot. Remember, the English Ivy is hardy and resilient, so if it ends up being in marshy and overly wet soil all the time, it can negatively affect its growth.
Water your plants regularly when the weather is warm, but lessen the frequency come winter. You can use the finger test to check on the soil’s dryness, sticking your finger and checking if the top inch is dry. If it is dry, water it to a half-inch, but if not, then you can wait another day.
You can also mist the leaves 1-2 times a week to help them stay hydrated, especially come summer season.
2. Potting Soil
Another driving factor of how fast an English Ivy grows is the potting soil. To help keep your English Ivy growing at its normally fast rate, make sure that you use well-draining soil.
As mentioned, English Ivies don’t do well in marshy or compacted soil, which is why well-draining soil is a top priority. Opt to use organic matter like compost, as the plant grows excellently here. It will also help prevent root rot as the excess moisture would escape.
You can also add a few things that will help promote your plant’s growth, such as:
- Banana peels
- Eggshells
- Epsom salt
- Tea
Besides this, aerate the plant’s soil once a month or so, ensuring that all of the excess moisture is completely released.
Speaking of potting, make sure that you place your plant in the appropriate pot size as it grows. When your plant is established, move it to a larger pot for the roots to spread even further.
It’s best to go for a wider pot rather than deeper since this would push the roots to spread even further compared to deeper pots. That way, your plant will have a stronger base.
3. Light
English Ivy will need an adequate amount of light. That said, this plant won’t do well when exposed to excessive amounts of sunlight.
You will want to give this plant moderate to full shade as this is what it prefers for it to grow well. However, these aren’t very demanding plants and they will still grow well when placed in areas with moderate to standard sunlight. Placing it under shade than more light can actually help the leaves grow bigger!
They should get about 8-10 hours of sunlight daily (still in moderate to full shade), not too much or too little. Too much sun exposure will result in the plant receiving sunburns, which restricts its growth and health. If they don’t receive enough sunlight, they end up looking leggy, tired, and vulnerable to pests and diseases.
If you don’t live in an area with good sunlight, you can use full-spectrum LED grow lights instead.
4. Temperature
This plant is hardy and can survive in various temperatures. That said, the ideal temperature for English Ivies is between 15-25 degrees C. You will see a significant effect on the plant’s growth rate based on the varying temperature.
For example, if you expose the plant to cold weather, the growth rate will slow down. That’s why many people opt to grow it indoors, as they can protect their plants from the cold weather better.
If ever the leaves are drying up, it’s because the room it’s in is too warm. If you keep it in warmer temperatures than it should be in, the leaves begin drooping, risking its growth and health.
5. Fertilizer and Pest Control
Apply fertilizer on your English Ivy plant monthly during the growing season, using a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Do NOT fertilize the leaves, which would result in burning them. Furthermore, avoid fertilizing your plant if it stopped growing during the summer or winter season, which would harm it.
You can also use eggshell water, taking eggshells to soak overnight then sieving the shells. Pour that liquid over your plant’s roots, giving it the nutrients it needs without spending on fertilizer or adding chemicals to it.
While plant diseases aren’t an issue when planted indoors, pests can be a major issue. Some of the common pests include aphids, mites, mealybugs, scales, and whiteflies.
If ever the infested area is small, simply prune the affected parts of the plant. You can prune this plant any time, which will also help maintain the plant’s manageable size. Just make sure that you wear gloves as you prune the plant and its affected parts.
You can also apply specially formulated sprays and pest control products or sticky pest traps (if you want to avoid chemicals). An insecticide soap solution will work well too, simply dunk your plant upside down in the solution, covering the soil with plastic to let it stay in the pot.
If the problem is detected early on, simply wash off the bugs away using cool, running water (don’t disturb the soil). You may want to wash your leaves periodically to prevent pest problems.
6. Pruning English Ivy
Help boost your plant’s growth rate through pruning. It’s best to prune the tips of vines, which stimulates the plant’s growth rate. Just make sure that you trim away the tips only unless you would like to control its growth.
Pruning will also help gardeners control the direction where your plant grows, so prune the unwanted vines with sterilized gardening tools, which keeps your English Ivy under control. Take note that this plant is classified invasive in certain areas, so you’ll want it to grow fast but without it overflowing!
Wrapping It Up
When it comes to growing English Ivy, expect it to grow quickly and look amazing, may it be indoors or around your garden. All it takes is proper care and fertilization, giving your plant everything it needs to grow healthily and as quickly as expected.
I hope that this article gave you more insight on what to expect as you grow English Ivy and how you can have it grow even quicker. If you would like your English Ivy to grow at a faster rate, follow the tips above now! Good luck and happy gardening.