Hi
Your website is very helpful. I live in Richmond Hill, On. My Boston Ivy is 15 years old. It is on the side of my retaining wall/fence which is facing west in my backyard but the ivy is facing the north side. It has grown to the top of my 10 foot fence which sits on top of a retaining wall plus it has grown alongside the retaining wall by roughly 15 feet which is 3 feet high. It has been very healthy until the ice storm of 2013. Since then after each winter the exiting growth has died. I have trimmed it back the past few years but each year’s leaves are much smaller as compared to earlier years. After this winter of 2018 it is growing a bit at the end of the retaining wall but otherwise there is no new growth. My thinking is to trim it back right to the top of the Ivy base and give it some fertilizer. As well the leaves have been infected for the past few years where they curl up. Any suggestions in how I can bring this Boston Ivy back to life? Thanks again
Thank you for contacting us about the popular Boston ivy and we have had similar inquiries before.
Enclosed is information about correct pruning of a failing Boston ivy to prolong its life.
https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/growing-new-ivy-over-dead-branches/
From your description it is hard to say what the problem is with the leaves: disease, insects or just stress. Enclosed is a previous Toronto Master Gardeners response that expands on the theme of diseases and insects that are associated with Boston Ivy.
https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/ivy-leaves-dropping-off/