By Anns
Dorset,
United Kingdom 
I have 2 sort of related questions. I have an unwanted ivy growing where most of it is inaccessible. Will the whole thing die if I cut it at the bottom and cut all the branches from the root? Also I seem to have all the towns snails in the same place. I cannot reach them at all and all I can think of is to spray them with a strong salt solution but I am not sure if that weill work. Does antbody have any other ideas please?
29 Aug, 2011
If you cut through the branches at the base, all of the topgrowth will die - but it won't stop the plant regrowing from the base,for that you'd need to poison the woody parts at the base with something like SBK, having first drilled and made small holes or made cuts into the living tissue of the wood.
If the snails are present in the ivy you speak of, its just because it's lovely and damp for them there, so that's where they hang out. They will move down at night to feed, so using slug pellets or similar on the ground round your susceptible plants will still work.
29 Aug, 2011