ps- how does it like artificial light?

also to add, it has new growth, so it must not be too unhappy.
And I spray the leaves frequently

NE window is very good, but it's drying up fast in a clay pot at 70F + moving warm air. it's a recipe for mites. it prefers cooler temps, like no more then 65F, 60F is even better.
stick a skewer all the way to the bottom of the pot - water it when it's 1/3 dry on top until water runs out. do not let it dry up to wilting - it'll drop lower leaves and mites will eat it alive....
what soil is it in?

an unglazed clay pot ... is an indoor nightmare.. in my experience ... i gave up on them decades ago .... they are for greenhouses.. even outside ,... they are a PIA ...

find a plastic pot of exactly the same size ... and repot it ... meaing.. slip it out.. and right back in ...

the pot is wicking water.. out its sides .... so your media is drying in a weird way .... causing the plant to struggle ...

it should not need too much water in winter.. indoors ... i water my ivy [whatever type it is] about once a week ... and its bone dry by the time i water again ...

one hour in a north window.. will NEVER be defined as too much sun ... you are probably also not thinking about how the window panes themselves.. cut the effectiveness of the light ... and IMHO.. an ivy does not need more light ...

i highly doubt a winter window is 70 night and day .... but in your z7 ... its not really an issue... i got up this morning in MI to NINE DEGREES .... you could feel the cold within a foot of the window ... but again ... it shouldnt matter in z7 ... its just not an issue .... since you are new.. i am just ruling out.. some of the things you listed ....

the furnace/air movement.. is complicating the wicking on the pot ... though i doubt your furnace.. in z7 ... runs enough to affect the plant all that much .... up in my MI .... the furnace runs so much in winter.. maintaining humidity can make for leathery leaves on this kind of plant ... but the house humidifier deals with that ...

if you buy the right size palstic pot ... you can slide the plastic pot into the clay.. if you like the look ...

a glazed ceramic pot would not wick due to the glaze ... but i still have problems with those ... and part of it.. is how cold they can get at night.. as mentioned above... if the roots mass gets cold.. and it cant recover/warm during a real cold day .... the plants can go into SLLLOOOWWWW motion ... which a lot of them do in winter anyway .... [its also because the sun is so low in the sky.. light levels have fallen]

and of course.. cold wet media... can lead to root rots ... etc ... but then.. i tend toward really dry plants ... so i avoid such.. along with the critters [fungus gnats]

one of the best greenhouse growers near me.. lets all his plants wilt.. before watering them ... says it forces them to thrive thru growing a solid root mass ... but he is a professional ... his things WILL be watered... the evening of the day of wilting .. but then.. he has perfect humidity.. and all other variables ... point being.. a little wilt.. is not much to worry about ....

as to your book comment... 10 years from now.. you will probably go back and read them.. and realize its all there ... if you only knew then.. what you know by the time you reread it ....

anyway.. to my reading.. everything you are doing is spot on.. except for that clay pot ...

good luck .... try to enjoy the process ... and not worry.. nor love your plant...

Thank you both very much!

petrushka, the soil I use is regular potting soil. Fairly good, not the cheap stuff, and no fertilizer in it, bec. as I understand it, plants should not be fertilized in the winter.

As far as the temp., I have all the plants on a table. Facing the NE window. The plants are about 6 inches away from direct contact with the window. And my thermometer on the table says 70 degrees. As far as being too hot for the plant, petrushka , I hear you, but I like it 70 degrees. So I just moved the therm to the window sill, and see what the temp is there. If it is cooler I could put the plant there.

as far as yr idea with a skewer that is very helpful. That I can do! :)

Ken, - OK, get rid of clay pots. I just re-potted all my plants in clay cuz I hate the way plastic looks, but DUH, like you say, I can insert the plastic in nice clay pots.
I think you are right about them drying out, bec. they seem to be dry right away, and everything I read says that in the winter ivy does not need to be watered more than once a week. I still have the plastic pots they came in, I will put them back. Poor plants, being moved so much.

haha, yes, I think that is how I usually kill my houseplants - too much attention. thank you for your detailed response. I feel reassured. I will definitely change to plastic and hopefully that will take of the watering problem.

Oh, also, I have the ivy on a pebble tray for humidity.

thank you both.

I'll be back with more questions on other plants. :)

First, I put everything I can in unglazed clay. It's easier to grow in and healthier for plants because of the face it allows gas exchange through the container walls. Having to water more frequently is inconvenient for the grower, but a significant plus for the plant. It means your soil will be at its most productive more often than it would be if you were using a pot made from impermeable material, like plastic or high-fired clay.

Rather than discuss what over-watering is, let's focus on the soil's state of water retention and its impact on the plant. Roots need air to function. Water and nutrient uptake is an energy driven process, and that energy must be produced using oxygen from the soil to burn the fuel that drives the process. The oxygen used comes from pores in the soil that are filled with air. Whenever those pores or some fraction of those pores are full of water, the roots immersed in that water are inhibited from functioning normally, which means they cannot take up water and the nutrients dissolved in water with any degree of efficiency.

From this, it's easy to conclude that water held between soil particles that won't drain under the influence of gravity alone is not desirable because it inhibits root function. Ideally, your soil would be evenly moist and hold about as much water as a wet sponge that had just been thoroughly wrung out. Plants don't 'drink' water by the drop, they absorb it a molecule at a time from vapor between soil particles and the microscopically thin coating of water on soil particles.

Your choice of soil has a significant impact on how easy/difficult it is to maintain healthy plants, and how much of its genetic potential your plant will be able to realize. If you have enough interest in learning to be a proficient grower, make understanding how water behaves in soils a priority. It will serve you well for as long as you grow in containers.

Hedera (ivy) is a mite magnet, so while it's indoors, try to keep the air cool, humidity high, and plan on at least a weekly spritz with a 50/50 mix of water/rubbing alcohol to keep numbers in check.

Al

Hi Al,
thanks for your input. In yr last para, when you say to "keep numbers in check", You mean to keep the number of mites in check, right? I just want to be sure.

I have read they are a problem, also with Palms, but haven't had any yet. I do mist every couple of days, bec. I have hot air heat, so drying. Altho I use the heat as little as possible.

Today I am making pebble trays for those that need humidity, and also put a container of water a top the heater.

Yes. IPM philosophy includes room for managing pests at acceptable levels rather than using extreme measures in a quest to completely eliminate every single pest. Alcohol/water spritzes, neem oil applications, and insecticidal soaps are all very benign ways to keep populations in check.

Al