Ivy is a climbing plant native to Europe and Asia that adapts to all climates. It belongs to the Araliaceae family and comes in several varieties. It will be essential for you to learn how to properly plant and maintain ivy if you want to benefit from its advantages in your home. Discover in this post the different varieties of ivy that exist and how to grow and maintain them.
The different varieties of ivy that exist
There are two main types of ivy, namely creeping ivy and climbing ivy. They come in several dozen varieties. Most can be grown outdoors while others are ideal for growing indoors. In addition, each variety of ivy has specific properties.
For example, the Hedera Canarisiensis ivy variety is grown outdoors due to its size which extends over 10 m wide and 5 m high. It is capable of withstanding a temperature of -8°C. Also, if you want to grow your ivy in a very cold region, the best thing for you would be to opt for hedera helix.
The latter is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures (up to -20°C). Just like Canarisiensis, Hedera Helix can be grown outdoors due to its large size (4 m high and 4 m wide). The Golden Kolibri is the ivy variety you should choose if you want to grow your ivy in your indoor space due to its small size (around 2 feet tall).
Where and when to plant ivy?
You can plant ivy anywhere in your home, as it adapts to all exposures. However, it is recommended to cultivate it in partially shaded areas if you want to accelerate its development. Likewise, note that ivy grows more easily on ordinary, light and cool soils even in periods of drought. It just needs to be well established and that’s it.
In addition to exposure and soil, it is important to choose an optimal planting time for your ivy. You can plant your hedera at any time of the year. All you need to do is make sure that planting does not coincide with the dry spell. Likewise, those who wish to cultivate ivy in cold regions must do so during the summer period.
How to maintain ivy?
As you can see on this site, ivy must be well maintained if you want to benefit from all the advantages linked to its presence in a house. Concretely, the method of maintaining ivy essentially depends on the place where it is grown.
For example, for growing in open ground, it is recommended to water the plantation every week over two months to ensure that the roots are well established. In addition, a hedera grown in an ivy pot must be watered regularly to keep the substrate cool. Here, the main thing for you will be to ensure that the substrate contained in the ivy pot does not dry out.
