Ivy Pruning and Branch Removal Methods and Cutting Propagation Techniques

Ivy is a fairly common climbing plant. There are a great many varieties of ivy, and it often grows in the wild. But these days plenty of people also grow it indoors, not only to decorate the home but also to purify the air and improve the indoor environment. But ivy grows quickly, which means gardeners need to prune it often.

How to prune ivy branches and leaves

1. When pruning, do not be too reluctant, and of course do not be too ruthless either. Restore the plant to its original shape, cut it back appropriately, and keep snipping until you think it looks attractive. Ivy has very strong powers of recovery, so there is no need to worry that cutting off branches and leaves will endanger its life.

2. When pruning, first cut off dead or damaged branches (damaged branches can be cut at any time), then cut off the side branches that spoil its looks. In short, keep the ivy attractive; do not cut the branches and leaves perfectly even, but let them be staggered and layered.

3. There is another method that can effectively control runaway growth, and that is pinching. In spring, be sure to pinch the ivy, removing part of the newly grown tender shoots to inhibit its growth. Later pruning then becomes even easier.

Ivy cutting propagation methods

1. Selecting cuttings

Before taking cuttings, prepare the branches and the potting soil. Pinch off a section of branch about 30 cm long from the tip of the ivy, and once home cut it into three sections for cuttings. When cutting, make sure the leaves stay intact and that there are no traces of insects on the upper part of the branch. Ivy grows in many places, and cutting off one section will not affect its growth. After cutting, it is best to wrap the cut end of the branch with a paper towel, then wet the paper towel and put a plastic bag over it, so that the branch does not lose water and shrivel. Once home, cut off the leaves at the bottom.

2. Preparing the potting soil

Once home, find a few disposable plastic cups and poke a few holes in the bottom to use instead of flower pots. This kind of pot has several advantages: it holds less soil, so the branches are less likely to rot. Second, the cup is transparent, so you can clearly see the rooting situation and transplant in time. It also takes up little space.

3. Inserting the cuttings

After putting soil in the cup, use chopsticks to poke a few small holes in the soil, insert the branch, basically one per cup. Press down gently with your fingers so the branch does not wobble when you water.

4. Management and care

After taking the cutting, water it thoroughly and place it in a bright spot with plenty of sunlight. At first water a bit more, once every 2 days; after a week gradually reduce the frequency of watering, and water only when the soil is dry. Keep the temperature between 15-20°C, and roots will form in about 20 days or so. After rooting, do not transplant immediately; let the young plant grow in the cup for a while, and after another 1 month, once the root system has developed well, it can be transplanted into a pot.

5. Transplanting

Transplanting is also very simple: just plant the young seedling upright in the soil. After transplanting, place it in a shady spot for about 1 week to recover, then care for it normally. Friends who like a big, flourishing pot can plant two in one pot, growing opposite each other.

How to make potted ivy grow into a full pot

1. Repot and change the soil at the right time

When changing the soil, the potting mix is best made from leaf mold, sand and garden soil. The best time is at the end of spring and the very beginning of summer. After that you can take it out of the old pot and put it into a new one, but first add a layer of already rotted fertilizer to the bottom of the pot, and use sterilized scissors to cut off roots that are too long and too dense. Next, add plenty of water, then put it in a ventilated, shady place, and once new branches grow you can begin normal care. 2. A good care environment

Although ivy is a shade plant, it can also take a full day of light so the plant can photosynthesize. Then you must also keep the temperature between 18 and 20°C, and it must not exceed 35°C, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow and growth will stall. So when summer arrives, keep it out of blazing sun; at this time not only should you shade it, but you should also cool it down appropriately and make sure there is good ventilation and diffused light, because if it goes without light for a long time its growth will suffer.

3. Maintaining humidity

It likes a somewhat humid environment, so timely watering is very important, especially during the vigorous growth period, when you must ensure the water supply, because at this time the potting soil needs to be kept moist, otherwise it will start dropping leaves. If the ground nearby is a little dry, spray water on the ground as well to raise the humidity.

4. Reasonable fertilizing

If you want it to fill out its pot smoothly, nutrients are indispensable, and the best way to obtain nutrients is to fertilize it. Especially during the growth period, make sure to apply fertilizer once every 15 days, but note that the fertilizer must not be too concentrated; dilute it appropriately with water, and use mainly organic fertilizer. But in the hot summer or cold winter, you need to stop fertilizing, otherwise it will have the opposite effect.

How to grow ivy in water

1. Temperature

It rather likes a warm environment, and the most suitable environment is 20 to 25°C. It cannot tolerate muggy heat, but it is fairly tolerant of cold, so we can put it in a room, give it some ventilation in summer, and in winter keep its temperature above 10°C; it must not drop below 5°C.

2. Light

It rather likes light, but it can also tolerate shade well. So we can consider putting it in a semi-shady place; this way its internodes will be shorter, its leaves will grow more uniformly, and its color will be more vivid. In spring and autumn we can still let it see sunlight in the morning and evening, then choose a period to put it in a shaded place; this both prevents direct strong light, avoids sunscald, and lets it grow very vigorously.

3. Support

A support is fairly important for it, because you want it to grow upward, so propping it up with a support is quite good. And its vines hang down in a rather natural, free way, so it looks very nice placed in the living room or a meeting room.

Ivy is one of the plants very well suited to growing indoors, and it can play a decorative and beautifying role. Its vitality is extremely strong, and it is a plant that can be grown in water, meeting the needs of many gardeners, and it is both simple and attractive.