Hard pruning Boston Ivy

Hello,

I have several Boston Ivy plants along a north facing fence running the length of my garden. They've grown well over the past few years but now I'd like to cut them right back so I can do some fence maintenance and also encourage them to spread sideways more (and also keep them in check height wise). Does anybody have any experience with cutting them back hard? I've done it with Virginia creepers and they've responded well, but never tried it with Boston Ivy. I was hoping to cut all the stems back to maybe 12".

 

Hi

wait till all the leaves drop off once that happens , you can prune down to 12 inches .

 

I'd assume its the same as Virginia creeper, I think they'd take over the plant if they didn't get cut back every now and again . When they go dormant would be a better time to do it though .

 

Yes - they'll take very hard pruning. I don't think it's a very suitable plant for wooden fences though. They're best on house walls/buildings, because they can become absolutely huge. One plant would cover a very large area quite quickly, even in poorer soil.

You may have to keep cutting them back more regularly, assuming they're healthy and the general site suits.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

I fully expect to have to cut them back every year or two to keep them in check. I had 60ft of north facing fence to cover and I hate the look of fences so opted for BI as it would completely cover it.

I'll wait until the plants are dormant then go for it and hope for the best!

Thanks again.