Swedish Ivy (5616)

One of the easiest houseplants to grow is the Swedish ivy.  Sometimes it is used as a small container plant, but often it outgrows its bounds.  It is more appropriately used as a hanging basket because of its long stems that will cascade down.

Conditions that favor the health and vigor of a Swedish ivy are medium to high light intensities, moist soils, temperatures between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and an application of fertilizer made once every three to four months.

Swedish ivy also responds quite well to pinching.  This will keep the plant bushy, and promotes new lush growth.

If it is not pinched, over time the bottoms of the stems near the basket will become leafless.  Swedish ivy roots easily.  Cut the trailing stems into pieces 4-6# long and root them in water or in a solid medium such as growing mix, coarse sand, or vermiculite.

Cuttings must be placed with the end nearest the soil line in the rooting medium.  If they’re upside down, they won’t root.  It’s often hard to tell which way is the right way because the leaves grow up on the trailing stems, which means they face down on the cutting.  To minimize confusion, as you take the cuttings, make a slanting cut on the end nearest the soil line of the parent plant.  Cut the other end straight across.  Then you’ll know the slanted end is the end that goes down into the rooting medium.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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