Managing Ground Ivy in Kansas City

Clean up ivy in April by mowing or weed-whacking — winter cleanup leaves it ugly. Contain annually: chop edges in spring, midsummer, and fall. Dig out roots in forbidden zones. Barriers fail — ivy grows over/under. Herbicide helps but roots still need digging. Cut ivy off trees — it smothers them and causes storm blowdown.

Persistence wins. Ivy is tough to eradicate but manageable with routine edge control.