AIBU to object to a neighbour growing ivy on our fence?

[HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM]

Our neighbour has planted ivy up our boundary fence (owned by us) for the second time. They previously grew ivy up the fence, and we eventually replaced the fence as it was getting old and worn. The new fence now has ivy poking through on our side! It’s such an eye sore and really does look a mess.

What can I do here? Are they technically “allowed” to grow a climbing plant up a boundary owned by us? They are elderly but also very unreasonable hence why I haven’t approached them about it yet.

My neighbour did this, it grew all over the fence and was growing close to my house wall I cut it all back and it died. To bad, to sad.

They slash your ball, you murder their ivy. An eye for an eye!

Having read the ball update I think it’s time the ivy was accidentally sprayed.

Only if the brickwork is already damaged, sound masonry is fine.

Lots of recommendations for weed killer here but glysophate is banned in the EU for a reason and I think my would be very wrong to use it on a plant in their garden without telling them. Some of us like to avoid carcinogens and neurotoxins thanks.

@HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Just cut it on your side, paint as you wish, and paint over any stems to stop them regrowing through. Ask them to make sure the top is kept no higher than the fence. See how that goes.

Does anyone have any product recommendations?!

I also like it ... we've got a hideous low 1970s style wall in our garden ... it was covered in ivy which I kept trim, but it hid the ghastly wall. DH decided to hack it all down and now we have to look at this monstrosity ...

I can’t cut it properly on my side. It pokes through and suckers itself to the fence. So I just have short bite of ivy poking through!

I feel your pain. My neighbour has ivy and refuses to tackle it because he ‘likes’ it. It grows up the side of my house and I have to sort it as he’s about a hundred so no point appealing to him (I’ve tried).

Even boiling water (repeatedly) poured over the plant & roots will help

Our back to back neighbour has ivy growing on our boundary fence, I don’t know what their garden looks like but I bet it’s an absolute mess, it’s just growing wild. The ivy is the bane of my summer and takes me hours to clear several times a year, if I don’t do clear it is sticks to our shed and our summerhouse, I noticed it’s actually wrapping around the gutter if our summerhouse now. Our neighbours refuse to do anything about it, so we’re stuck with it, but if you can get yours to stop that would be best for you.

Could you maybe accidentally get weed killer on it!! Obviously accidentally while you’re spraying weeds in your own garden 🙊

No idea. Follow instructions for use and if nothing happens in a fortnight, give it another dose.

Well, that’s what I would do.

More tips here https://www.londonivyremoval.co.uk/Herbicidal-Application.html#:~:text=Concentrated%20Glyphosate%20is%20introduced%20straight,to%20catch%20any%20surplus%20herbicide.

I don’t really understand why you can’t cut it - you mean there are no stems, only leaves?

Spray with glyphosate. It will die back in a few weeks.

Stump killer

It pokes through but sticks to the fence with suckers. I have to peel it off from the fence and then cut as close to the fence as possible. But obviously a few days later it’s grown again. Even when it’s cut back, it’s still visible as it’s coming through the fence slats.

Roundup tree stump killer. Can get it on amazon. You'd be ivy free by the weekend!

Salty water will kill it. And nothing will grow there ever again.

Anyone know if this is the right thing?!

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8139980

No, there are a number of "decorative" ivies sold in garden centres.

I am surprised by the majority of these responses. We had beautiful ivy growing on our fence, covering it fully and a heaven for pollinators when it was in flower. Our neighbours asked to cut it back because they were convinced that rodents used it to climb into the roof of their extension. Ultimately, they used extremely strong weedkiller to poison the ivy from their side, only to find a few months later, when we rebuilt a ropey conservatory and exposed the tiny gap between our houses, that there was an opening in their brickwork through which the rodents entered their property. Nothing to do with the ivy which never recovered. I like our neighbours a lot but I am still sore about the loss of a beautiful plant.

I have the same problem, ivy from next door. The fences belong to next door and only knee high. Decades-old gnarly trees prevent them replacing them for higher fences. The ivy had suffocated any plants on my side. Ivy stems were inches thick circling the tree trunks. After deciding to reclaim the garden, I have done bags and bags of the stuff. If I pull the roots, they even go under the grass, like veins. I'm almost done. DH digs it out with a shovel. I prefer to rake the leaves then hack the bare roots with secateurs then re-rake. It's taken up every weekend for about 3 months.

Are you absolutely sure you own both sides of the boundary fence? Your neighbours may think it is a shared boundary and they can do what they like on their side. We had this confusion and had to access the deeds and the land registry to check. If it is yours there will be a T mark on your side, if shared, a T mark on both sides (making an H mark). Even though we had spent a great deal on the new fence we had to allow them to do what they liked with their side as it was a shared boundary (who paid for or installed it is irrelevant). If the whole fence is within your land and not on the boundary you can stop them from doing anything to it.

It will destroy any stonework.

Hop vines, jade vines, Virginia creeper, clematis, honeysuckle, rambler roses, etc etc will not.

Whatever weed killer you use if you can I recommend putting part of the attached plant in a food bag with the plant killer as well to really
make sure it sucks it up.

There is ivy on our fence from our neighbour that doesn’t bother us so we have left it, but we do get their brambles which is bloody annoying and we spend forever cutting back.