If trying mowing just do that repeatedly, without the rest of it. After it dies out put in the new grass--unless you want to get in done sooner than it might take with mowing alone.

If it continues to spread below the mowing height try pulling/forking those particular pieces up again.

You can see from the lack of replies that there isn't a magic bullet for you. Ivy is just dreadful and I'm lucky that it isn't in residence on our property. We have lots of other nasties though. I have read that you must make sure that the ivy never is allowed to grow upwards. It will not flower and set seeds if growing horizontally, but as soon as it goes up the seeds start and it will grow everywhere, compliments of birds. Good luck! Perhaps you should try chemical warfare, or the flamethrower that zen is touting.

It doesn't like mowing at all. Any procedure that reapeatedly removes the leaves will starve it.

Ha! I figured mowing might do it - I have yet to see ivy invading a lawn. We want to push our lawn out further, so I think we'll give the mowing a try, and just lay sod on top. I am not patient enough to seed the grass. And anything that shoots sideways, I will pull.

Thanks, all. I know the whole ivy topic has just about been beaten to death.

Beating it might work also, but it's kinda slow going.

Lol. Too bad. It would be a very satisfying way to get rid of it.

So would torching it with the flamethrower. :-)

"Response to cultural methods: Burning plants and re-sprouts at regular intervals with a blow torch will eventually deplete the plant's energy"

Here is a link that might be useful: DRAFT WRITTEN FINDINGS OF THE

Howdy Mamageph,
I wanted to add that I've had very good luck relentlessly pulling a huge ivy patch- maybe 80x60x1 ft deep, and vertically up trees to 60 + ft. It is mindless, satisfying work and with a little bit of followup, I have very few sprigs resprouting 3 yrs later. It was a lovely dense matt of ivy covering log, stump, and anything that grew in its path.
So it can be pulled, but mowing sounds like the solution in your situation.

And this is a great quote LOL!
"I hate with a white hot hate of one thousand suns."

I have used my weedeater to mow down the ivy that invades from the condos behind me. Apparently, they consider it a "groundcover". It doesn't seem to kill the ivy, rather it drives it into a place where it's welcomed. Like its original yard. Then I pull up any little stragglers that don't seem to take the hint.
Burying the ivy is an option, but I would be afraid they would pop up through the covering wherever it was thin.
Eventually you'll win this battle.

Just be glad it's not blackberries!!!!!

-Keli

At least you can eat blackberries if they invade.

If you're going to pull, water the area first as it softens the soil.

I find it amazing that nurseries still sell Ivy and people plant it in climates where it goes out of control. Evil, noxious weed.

Evil, noxious weed is right. I really makes me sad and angry to see how it has taken over the native forest areas around Portland. In winter you can really see how it turns them into ivy ghettos. In all directions around town when you see forested areas they are invaded with ivy. Even the Columbia River Gorge is full of it. Breaks my heart.

I spray Round Up on it where it comes through the fence from the neighbor's and it barely slows it down.