Ivy plants are popular houseplants that are characterized by their rapid growth. Our guide tells you what you need to consider when caring for this robust plant and how to propagate it easily.
Ivyututas are among the easiest to care for and probably also the fastest growing houseplants. They are very thankful and therefore suitable even for people with less green thumb. The plants can grow both hanging and climbing. This allows you to use them for greening entire walls, stair railings or as room dividers.
By the way: There are different varieties of ivy, each with characteristic leaf colors. Well-known examples are the varieties “Marble Queen”, “N’Joy” and “Neon”.
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Ivy: The right location
Although ivies are easy to care for, you should still look for a suitable location for them. Characteristic for ivies are the sometimes striking variegations of the leaves, i.e. differently colored zones. The plants only get these if they get enough light. The optimal location for your ivy looks as follows:
- as bright as possible, but not full sun (indirect light),
- about 20 degrees Celsius and at least 16 degrees Celsius in winter,
- little draught,
- preferably high humidity (for example in the bathroom).
- Note: The brighter or more patterned the leaves of your ivy, the closer you should place it to a window. Varieties with dark green foliage can also be placed in darker corners.
How to properly care for ivy
Ivy plants grow continuously and constantly produce new leaves if you care for them properly. You do not have to pay much attention:
- Ivy plants do not need too much water. Just keep the soil evenly moist. The top two centimeters of the soil can be left to dry out between waterings without hesitation. The best thing to do before watering is the finger test: stick your finger a bit into the soil – if it still feels wet, you don’t need to water yet. Important: You should avoid waterlogging at all costs. Always pour off excess water.
- Increase the humidity by spraying the ivy with water from time to time. Good to know: High humidity reduces the risk of spider mite infestation.
- Fertilize the ivy with a little liquid fertilizer every two to three weeks between March and August.
- If the ivy has become too big for its pot, you should repot it. This is necessary every two to three years on average, depending on how fast your specimen grows. Tips for doing this can be found here: Repotting plants: general instructions and tips.
Propagate ivy: This is how easy it is
If you want to propagate your ivy, you can do it very simply by using cuttings.
- Cut off a shoot under a leaf node with clean scissors.
- Let the cut dry for a few hours.
- Then place the cutting, cut side down, in a glass of water.
- Once the newly formed roots are about two to three inches long, you can plant the cutting in a pot. Tip: It is best to plant two to four cuttings in a pot to ensure sufficient abundance. Ivy plants do not form side shoots.