Find Your Ask the Expert: my dying English Ivy
I have an English ivy that I purchased in a small container and a few days later replanted. It immediately began losing leaves, after they turned brown of course, and now I have a few sticks and a few leaves.
It is in filtered sun light.
Should I pray for it and see what happens? Audrey
Audrey,
You have two issues. One is transplant shock and the other is water. English ivy when first planted needs a moist environment but not a soggy one. Most people will over-water ivy when they first plant it. This is particularly a problem when English ivy is going through transplant shock. If your ivy still has green stems it will recover if you keep it moist. In places where it gets very little light and is planted where it competes with other plants for water you will have to pay close attention to the water. It takes about a month for Ivy to establish itself and after that it requires very little care. Do fertilize it until you see new growth form.