Ivy growing in house wall?

[Bat135]

Hi

I have this ivy trained up a wall.

its now too thick from constant trimming with hedge cutters..

I want it about half as thick as it’s not 2 foot from the bricks thick and too dense.

can I cut it back hard by about half its thickness into old wood? If so when should I do this? Also, will it recover and how long will it take as it will mean leaving literally no leaves just the old wood…

I would also like to do it so it stays tidy, doesn’t harm the nesting season and leaves it with berries and flowers later in the year but tidy and tighter to the wall.

Can anyone advise?

 

[Tetters]

It is almost impossible to kill Ivy. It is one of the toughest plants you will find. There has always been the possibility of the plant damaging walls, but there is a question of choice. I like to see it and so do the birds, as you mention. I would cut it back regularly, but it might look pretty awful for some time if you go back too far, as you'll get loads of bare patches that will take time to grow back.
I made the mistake of removing very overgrown Ivy from my garden wall, and it turned out to be what was actually holding the wall together as the Ivy had taken root between the bricks, so the whole wall collapsed and I had to rebuild it