Growing plants up house walls

[CliffordPope]

Domesticated ivy varieties seem more benign, and also more colourful. Ordinary wild ivy is a killer. I don't thinks it's so much the aerial roots as its habit of growing into crevices and then simply expanding remorselessly over the years.
I've seen a lovely mature larch tree destroyed by ivy. It had massive ivy trunks wound round the tree throttling it, and then the shear weight of the ivy "tree" pulled the larch over.
There's an abandoned house near us I have watched over the years. The ivy is now lifting slates off the roof and is destroying sash windows by levering the wood work out of the stone embrasures and cracking the glass. It's infiltrated the chimney stacks and bricks are falling off. Twenty years ago the house was inhabited. In another twenty it will be a roofless shell.

 

[Feltwell]

I have a constant battle against ivy here. There was a huge Virginia Creeper growing up the house when I arrived, totally obscuring some windows - that's now gone. The ivy is at least only growing up trees and an outhouse wall, but it is relentless, controlling it is not helped by my being allergic to the damn stuff! I feel guilty about getting rid of it completely though, blackbirds nest in it on the outhouse wall.

Although not a climber of course, Buddleia is one of the worst plants for building damage - the railways I believe have a constant battle with it. I get problems with birch seeds getting into brickwork cracks and growing, though I am surrounded by birch trees - which are lovely and is also the name of the house.

 

[fernicarry]

Ivy is my nemesis. It was everywhere when we moved in, although not on the house itself thankfully. Its wrecked bits of the dry stone walls around the plot. It was choking the laurel hedge which has taken 5 years to fill in the gaps left after I chopped it all out. All the big trees were covered in it. We've got most of the big stuff down but its always insinuating its way back in. I know its supposed to have wildlife value but the stuff we have never flowers and there's plenty of other places for nests so I have a very low tolerance for it.

It did give us one of the nicest surprises though. After pulling back a huge carpet of ivy I found a graveled area outlined with bricks and some old stone steps leading down into the front garden. No idea why its there as the gravel doesn't connect to any other paths but its a nice thing.

Worst thing about plants on the outside of buildings is the nails and hoops and other paraphernalia that get hammered in to support the wires. The front of our house is covered in rusty old bits of metal many of them hammered between the sandstone blocks and you know who's going to win if I try to dig those back out... What I've done instead is drill some anchor eyes into the stone, the rubble infill not the sandstone. If I no longer need them then they can just be unscrewed and mortared over.

 

[kreyszig]

we've got a holboellia coriacea (sausage vine) that we inherited which is very vigorous. It was planted in a pot, and has since smashed through that and a concrete patio tile into the ground below, and has wound its way upwards around the (copper) gas pipe leading in from the meter. It is currently about 5 m high and about the same across.

I'm a bit concerned about the gas pipe tbh, anyone got any thoughts on this?

 

[Flyfisher]

Thoughts on the gas pipe? Firstly, as it's on your side of the meter it's your responsibility and you can expect to pay for any necessary repairs. Secondly, as it's outside the property, any leak that might result from damage to the pipe is unlikely to be an explosion risk (that's usually a result of a build-up of gas in an enclosed space) though there is a potential for fire of course. Thirdly, gas work is a no-go zone for DIY and should only be carried out by GasSafe certified personnel - but I'm sure you already know that.

If you are particularly concerned about the gas pipe, perhaps it would be possible to re-route it somehow. Photos would help in this respect. I'm guessing it would be a fairly simple job for a GasSafe engineer, but even if it isn't for some reason then they should be able to advise. Perhaps the affected section of pipe could be replaced with a flexible pipe of some sort? - but that's a pure guess, though I'm sure the relevant regulations will specify what's allowed in this respect.

All the above assumes you wish to keep the vine. If you decide to cut it down then turning off the gas at your meter should keep things safe while you cut it away and disentangle it from the gas pipe. After turning the as back on, you could use soapy water to check for any gas leaks along the affected area of pipe or, more correctly, have a GasSafe inspection of your system, which should include a pressure test over a period of time that's designed to check for leaks. Assuming everything is ok you would then have a formal certificate proving that the system is safe and sound and you'll have the peace of mind knowing you've not inadvertently damaged anything. That might sound a bit OTT, but then I've never fully trusted gas!

 

[kreyszig]

Yep don't worry I know to leave gas well alone. I have been thinking of re-routing the pipe and keeping the vine, it does look pretty nice. I have the words "work-hardening" bothering me...

 

[Abi Cott]

My instincts say the gas pipe itself is fairly safe. It's the joints I would be examining in close detail.

We use copper for pipes because it doesn't readily pit, so there won't be much of a toehold there, but the solder at the joints is the weak point, that would be my focus

 

[Pennyviz]

The weather was too nice today to spend indoors pulling up floor boards and removing old pipework. Time to go outside...

We have inherited a garden with a good number of mature plants including a few climbers. The walls of the walled garden were thick with ivy and it has caused some damage. Having spent a few days pulling out as much down as I can, I think careful management will be needed in future. I certainly won't let them get covered again.

We have a large Climbing Hydrangea at the back of the house that looks a bit out of control. The next step will be some pruning (probably to keep it within the confines of one wall) but is this plant likely to cause any trouble? I see Ivor has one at his place. There is also a Wisteria but as far as I know it has never flowered. I will need to read up about pruning...

I could be up the ladder tomorrow with the secateurs!

I had a large climbing hydrangea at the back of the house that I have now got rid of. Yes looked lovely but hated the faff of trimming it back every year. It had got out of control before I moved in and had worked it's way inside the roof.

The trouble with plants when I grow them is that either they die or they end up being complete weeds and I spend the rest of my life pruning them.

Penny

 

[TheSpid]

We have a huge hydrangea at the back - it's coming down eventually even though it looks beautiful - it's SO prolific and even though we cut it back quite hard last year it was threatening the roof tiles and guttering - so another hard prune and a bringing forward of it's 'death date'. Hubby also HATES ivy and removes it where ever he can - the front had ivy - no more. It also has very very old clematis but at least that doesn't invade so, so far that is staying. But basically, if it grabs onto the house it goes.

 

[88v8]

I doubt the gas pipe will harm the vine. Although copper is not ideal. You could replace it with iron, perhaps.

Plastic windows are anathema to most of us here, but welcome to those who can't be bothered with painting.

In the same way, those who love plants will learn to prune so as to accommodate them on the house and maximise the flowering, or in the case of Virginia creeper, the autumn colour.
Those who are not so keen on plants will regard the plant as a nuisance. Hack at it occasionally, probably pruning too hard, cutting the wrong bits at the wrong time, cutting away the potential flowers. The plant responds by growing harder, creating a ... what's the opposite of a virtuous circle.
Even a climbing hydrangea can be kept within bounds. If one wishes. But like all gardening, it takes sustained effort.

I am not a keen gardener. As I look out of the window, the hedges need cutting. Hmmm, I think. But I like the hedges and would never get rid of them.

Ivy can grow in the dark. This makes it a bit of a menace because it can grow into cracks, through pipe openings, under floors. Is it unique in that respect? It's fine on a sound wall, but will widen any cracks, and should never be allowed on a roof. Nor should it be allowed further than eight foot up a tree. I see many trees covered in ivy to the tip, due to neglect by the tree's owner.

As I said a couple of years ago, if a plant misbehaves, blame the owner.

Ivor

 

[kreyszig]

I doubt the gas pipe will harm the vine. Although copper is not ideal. You could replace it with iron, perhaps.

it's not the vine I'm worried about..

 

[Pennyviz]

I doubt the gas pipe will harm the vine. Although copper is not ideal. You could replace it with iron, perhaps.

it's not the vine I'm worried about..

OMG Prune it away! It will grow back.

 

[RBailey]

My "deplanting" now that the leaves have gone.

Before (yes, that is the back door on the left!). There is also a dose of Ivy hiding behind the Wisteria as well.



The bottom hid a multitude of sins, including the sink / dishwasher outlet.



All removed with a massive prune of the Wisteria.



And a french drain added at the bottom.



Yes, the wall is damp from it all. (Although the photo makes it look worse than it is because I washed the wall down).

Yes, the green patch on the top left from a hidden gutter leak running behind it all. (Which I have also fixed.)

While the plants might not hurt the wall, what they hid definitely did.

Happy New Year all!
Cheers,
Richard B.