The ivy plants are supplied in a standard nursery pot. You can repot to a larger planter using humus-rich potting compost. Or you can leave it in the same pot and stand the pot as it is in an attractive planter. A saucer is fine too. Wait until the water has been absorbed or evaporated before watering again – water only when saucer is empty.

Choose a warm place in the living room for your Hedera helix, but really, a cool spot like a bedroom or bathroom will not be a problem. Do avoid direct sunlight on the plant. The plant will require less water in cooler surroundings.

Ivy (Hedera helix) has a preference for (partially) shaded spots! The Hedera helix likes humid air, spray the leaves regularly with rainwater so that it retains its beautiful foliage. If the air is too dry you will notice the edge of the leaves drying out. These plants grow quickly and have little need or no need of fertiliser. If you do wish to fertilise, use the indoor plant variety for green plants.
During the winter, the plant can be kept in a slightly cooler and drier spot. Wait until spring to start watering.
 
 
 

Extra tips

• These strong plants will survive virtually all situations, but too little water and the leaves will wither.
• If a shoot becomes too long or bare, simply trim it back. The plant will generate new shoots.
• If you want the plant to climb, you must give the ivy a 'climbing frame'. It may be made of one or more bamboo canes, or a ready-made trellis-work.
• Variegated forms of ivy require more light than the all green leaved ivy.

The ivy (Hedera helix) can be found in Europe in regions with a moderate climate. It grows in forests and the edges of a wood and climbs trees, but can just as easily grow along the ground.
This plant is self-adhesive, that is to say that the adhesive pads that the ivy makes clings easily to their substrate. They work like suction pads. Ivy does not assimilate nutrients from its substrate on which the adhesive roots grow, it merely seeks support.
This climber is often used indoors as a hanging plant, which is not a problem.
Recent research has classified Hedera in an ivy family (Araliaceae).