b'Help Our Trees: Remove Ivy!BY PAT PRESSENTIN, NORMANDY PARK RESIDENTT he trees of Normandy Parkeasily on the ground. So, lets get are screaming for relief.after it this Spring! Getting outside They scream to be freedin the moderate weather will be a from the bonds of the English Ivyhealthy break from the winter, and that have crept up their trunksyou can save a tree along the way. and covered their branches.So, where to start? Ideally, you Its amazing how a small actwill need a pruning saw, one of of removing ivy from trees canthose folding curved saws with have such a positive impact on6 or 8 inches of sharp blade, and the environment. Imagine asome boots, perhaps, depending on community where the trees arethe weather. Gloves are good, too. free from the grip of invasive ivy,And thats about it. Start in your where wildflowers bloom freely,backyard or help a neighbor whose and where the native ecosystemtrees are entangled. thrives. Spring is the time. During Spring, the stinging nettles andHow to remove ivy from treesthe evergreen blackberry vinesUse secateurs to cut ivy around that defend the trees from yourthe bottom of your tree trunk. approach have died off or not yet(Before Picture) Tree covered in ivy at grown, the weather is improving,continued next page Walker Preserve Parkand a walk in the backyard or one of our parks will remind you Spring and summer is coming. Once upon a time, ivy was imported here, and during that time, it was considered innocuous or even pretty, but as it turned out, it was incredibly invasive. It has begun taking over trees in nearly every natural forest space in our neighborhood. Weve learned that it is not as pretty as we thought. It chokes our wildflowers, hides rodents, and, with its weight, can fall trees. Ivy grows on the ground until its life cycle urges it to climb a tree and expand into the tree branches. The seeds eventually fall or are carried by birds to new locations. We can slow the spread if we can stop the seeding and free the foliage from our trees. Springtime is the best time to cut ivy and save trees from being overtaken.Leslie NewmanDuring Spring, deciduous leavesRealtor/Brokerare absent, so ivy is obvious, and206.769.8882nettles and blackberry thornsleslienewman@remax.netare at bay. The soil is also damp,leslienewman.remax.comallowing the roots to pull out more www.NormandyParkWA.gov 19'