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Grape ivy, and it’s relative, oak leaf ivy,
are fast growing plants. Grape Ivy looks wonderful sitting on a table, hanging in a basket, or standing on the floor as a
magnificent pole plant. These plants are a little difficult to locate because not many
green houses want to spend the money and effort to grow them today. As the name suggests, the leaf of the grape ivy has the
shape of a grape leaf while that of the oak ivy is shaped like an oak leaf. The new varieties of this plant are much hardier
and less prone to disease than the older varieties.
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CARE OF GRAPE IVY
Light: The original grape ivy required medium to high light: . New varieties such as ellen danica and mandianna can even live in low light conditions. Direct sun will burn the
leaves. If the stem starts stretching towards the light and leaves are further and further apart, move your plant to a brighter
location. Water: All varieties of grape ivy need to thoroughly dry out before
being watered to avoid root rot. When watering, be sure it comes out the bottom of the pot to prevent salt build up in the
soil. Fertilizer: Grape ivies need to be fertilized three or four times
a year; using the plant food at 50% strength. As long as the leaves are dark green you are fertilizing properly, yellow leaves
mean the plant needs more food. Temperature: Grape ivies can handles temperatures
from 40-90 degrees although growth slows above 80 degrees. The ideal temperature is 60-80 degrees. Soil: Always use a well-aerated soil that drains well Pruning:
Pinch back the stem tips of the plant to keep it bushy Pests & Diseases:
Grape ivies are prone to powdery mildew. This can be treated with a commercial fungicide. They also attract mealy bugs and spider mites; spray with the green solution
every 10 days for a month.
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GRAPE IVY FAQ’S
1. I am giving my grape ivy plenty of water but the leaves keep getting brown and crunchy and entire stems are dying.You are definitely over watering your plant. Cut off all of the dead stems and damaged leaves. Do not water again until
the soil has thoroughly dried out. Depending upon how badly you have damaged the roots, you may have to cut the entire plant
back to the soil line. 2. I am getting yellow leaves on my oak leaf ivy. It’s
not in the direct sun & I don’t see any bugs.The plant probably needs to be fertilized a little more
often with a plant food at ½ strength. 3. My grape ivy seems to be all stem
and very few leaves. Try moving your plant to a brighter location. 4.
I have tried and tried to get rid of the mealy bugs by spraying my plant with your green solution but they keep coming back. What else can I do?If your plant is not too large,
submerge your entire grape ivy in a bucket or tub on mild soapy water and gently scrub it. Then use the green solution every 10 days for a month. If the mealy bugs still persist, you’ll have to purchase a chemical pesticide for treating mealy bugs. 5. One side of my grape ivy looks great, but the leaves on the other side are all burnt looking.It sounds
like one side is in the direct sun and the leaves are being scorched. Move your plant so that it is never in the direct sun.
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