Now strictly bushcraft but...Ivy
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Cut the stem as it leaves the ground to stop further growth on the shed would be the first thing to do.
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
yup, I agree with Rik and Xylaria. Then just keep hacking at the stump until its dead. Using chemicals seems a bit extravagant.
Pull the lengths, coil and store. When they're dry rub the leaves off. It can be soaked and used to weave baskets, and the heavy main roots can be split lengthwise to make great hearths for firebow and drill 
cheers,
Toddy
cheers,
Toddy
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Pull the lengths, coil and store. When they're dry rub the leaves off. It can be soaked and used to weave baskets, and the heavy main roots can be split lengthwise to make great hearths for firebow and drill
cheers,
Toddy
What she says.
It can weave very nicely, but it gives me a rash. The rash is quite common.
Ah, I didn't know that.
I use it for dye, (good green) and the berries for one of the enricheners for a dark dye.
I let it grow up over the fences, it seems to keep the timber not only dry but protected, as well as providing masses of cover and nesting spaces for the small birds. I weave in any trailing shoots to stop it spreading over the garden.
cheers,
M
I have one larch lap shed that the ivy tries to grow through. Just pull it back and cut it off. It's not eating the wood or anything, and it ususallly dies off inside anyway since there's not enough light for it to green up.
cheers,
M
cheers,
M
If you get a thickish bit of ivy, it also carves absolutely beautifully. I got a straight bit, and it was almost buttery when it was green, and made a lovely spoon, with a quirky handle. It dried well too, without cracking. Ivy is one of my favourite things to carve in the field now, as it is so easy to work.
So cut you ivy down, and get carving!
So cut you ivy down, and get carving!
i've made a spoon with ivy aswell and i have got to agree it is fantastic to work with . always keep my eye out for a good sized bit when im out in the woods now. saw a bit large enough for a kuksa the other day, but it was on the roadside and was a bit unsure about cutting it off the tree.
so far all the stuff i've taken has been cut off at the bottom when foresters (or someone in charge) has been going throughout the woods. what are peoples opinions on cutting it from living ivy? cause unlike taking a branch off a tree its impossible to get it without killing the plant, but is it a bad thing to kill the ivy or am i doing the tree a favour? i remember being told at some point that its bad for the tree and obviously someone thinks so cause its been cut through to kill it off on alot of the trees in the woods by my friends house.
so is it ok (or even a good thing) for me to take ivy from trees or should i not be doing it?
TJ
. always keep my eye out for a good sized bit when im out in the woods now. saw a bit large enough for a kuksa the other day, but it was on the roadside and was a bit unsure about cutting it off the tree.so far all the stuff i've taken has been cut off at the bottom when foresters (or someone in charge) has been going throughout the woods. what are peoples opinions on cutting it from living ivy? cause unlike taking a branch off a tree its impossible to get it without killing the plant, but is it a bad thing to kill the ivy or am i doing the tree a favour? i remember being told at some point that its bad for the tree and obviously someone thinks so cause its been cut through to kill it off on alot of the trees in the woods by my friends house.
so is it ok (or even a good thing) for me to take ivy from trees or should i not be doing it?
TJ
Ivy is a bit controversial. Eventually it does smother the tree, and it certainly increases the likelihood of the tree being brought down by strong winds. On the other hand it provides berries and shelter for wildlife.
Personally, I'm happy to cut a bit of ivy from living growth, as usually you will find that the growth is multiple, and anyway, it keeps it under control and increases the lifespan of the tree. Technically I suppose you need permission from the landowner, but I think people are more laid back about ivy than they would be if you felled the tree, say.
Cut it in moderation and it should be fine. You can get some great shapes from it, and it is once of those under-used resources that people tend to ignore. Try scraping off the fibrous 'gripping' threads that coat the surface, and using them as tinder. Abundant, and easy to collect.
Personally, I'm happy to cut a bit of ivy from living growth, as usually you will find that the growth is multiple, and anyway, it keeps it under control and increases the lifespan of the tree. Technically I suppose you need permission from the landowner, but I think people are more laid back about ivy than they would be if you felled the tree, say.
Cut it in moderation and it should be fine. You can get some great shapes from it, and it is once of those under-used resources that people tend to ignore. Try scraping off the fibrous 'gripping' threads that coat the surface, and using them as tinder. Abundant, and easy to collect.
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