Why Is My English Ivy Sticky? (Causes+How To Fix)

English ivy is a gorgeous evergreen perennial native to Europe and is popular for its heart-shaped variegated leaves. Certain ivy plant owners do not understand why the lush leaves of the ivy sometimes become sticky.

The primary reason for sticky leaves on English ivy is pests. The pests suck the sap of the ivy plant and excrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which is sticky in nature and attracts other insects. Another common cause of sticky leaves is guttation from the leaves.

If you notice the leaves are sticky, you must find the reason and fix it immediately. In this article, I will help you identify and solve the problem.

Why is my English ivy sticky?

Sometimes your plant is healthy and fine, but suddenly you find the leaves sticky.

The sticky thing is leftover by the bugs that feed on the plant, which becomes a breeding ground for more pests like ants.

When bugs invade your English ivy, they come and feed on the plant’s sap.

Pest infestations are dangerous and can damage your plant and even kill if left unchecked.

You must examine your English ivy carefully if you notice any sticky substance on the leaves or stems.

Most insects attach the undersides of leaves, so don’t forget to check these parts.

Let us study the problems and the solutions to save your English ivy from damage.

Pest infestations

Pests are a nightmare for most plant owners.

They feed on the plant’s sap, making the plant shriveled and weak, and can also kill them if left unchecked.

The sap of the plant is nutrient-rich and gives energy and strength to the plant.

The sap gives the plants the power to grow, so when the pests start to feed on this sap, the plant gradually loses strength and energy.

After feeding, they excrete a sticky substance.

Due to the sap’s sugar content, the leaves become sticky.

This honeydew, in turn, attracts insects and ants to the ivy, which causes further damage.

You may also notice mold and fungi, which makes your ivy unhealthy. 

You must take immediate action when you notice sticky leaves and pests in your English ivy.

How do I know which pest has attacked my English ivy?

Different kinds of pests can attack your English ivy.

Aphids

These notorious oval-shaped insects come in multiple colors like white, brown, and yellow.

Aphids thrive in damp and moist environments, so overwatered plants are their ideal breeding grounds.

They mostly attach themselves to the underside of the leaves. 

They thrive on the soft, delicate tissues of the ivy plant and pierce its narrow, sharp mouth into the plant to feed the nutrients and excrete honeydew on the plant.

This sticky honeydew is invaded by ants, leaving behind mold and powdery mildew that gradually covers the entire plant.

Aphids multiply rapidly and cause leaves to curl up and gradually kill the entire plant by sucking off its nutrients.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs mostly attack houseplants and are hard to get rid of.

You notice them as white waxy tiny little bugs attached to the leaves and the veins.

They have a tube-like mouth with which they suck the nutrients and cause havoc in the plant.

The plant droops and turns pale yellow, gradually reducing growth as the infestation spreads.

They excrete honeydew which again attracts ants to the plants.

Spider mites

Spider mites attack dehydrated plants growing in dry air.

They do not like moisture and humidity and are tiny and almost invisible.

They hide on the undersides of the leaves.

You must watch out for web-like structures around your ivy and yellow and white specks on the leaves to find out if spider mites have attacked your plant.

This web starts from a smaller portion of the plant and gradually spreads. 

The leaves fall off, turn pale and gradually die.

Whiteflies 

Whiteflies hide on the undersides of leaves of your English ivy, leaving behind the sticky honeydew.

With the continuous honeydew excretion, ants and other insects attack the plant creating a breeding ground for fungal growth and sooty mold.

Scales

These come in colors like yellow and brown and are quite hard to remove as most organic pesticides fail to work on them.

They stick themselves to the ivy and increase in numbers over time as they are easily mistaken for brown or yellow bulges on the leaves. 

The plant stops growing, and the leaves start turning yellow and sticky.

How to remove pests from English ivy?

If you notice the sticky honeydews on your plants, you must first get rid of the pests.

Unless you clear off the pests, you cannot stop the sticky leaves problem because the excretion from the pests leads to honeydew formation.

Treatment for mealybugs

Act fast when you notice the white, powdery bugs on your plant.

As they are small, it is easy to overlook them, so check the entire plant and the undersides to see the damage and the extent of the infestation.

Isolate the plant immediately as they spread quickly from one plant to another.

The severity of the treatment depends on the spread of the infestation. 

So let us see what you have to do:

• Prune the infected leaves if the mealybugs have just started spreading and have not spread much.
• You can handpick the pests if they are few.
• If the infestation is more series, then wash the plant thoroughly.
• Then dip cotton balls in isopropyl alcohol. Rub it over the infected spots to clean everything off.
• Release some lady beetles and lacewings in the plant to naturally eliminate all the mealy bugs.
• Make a mixture of Neem oil in water and spray it all over the plant generously. It is an effective organic pesticide that clears all bugs. 
• If the bugs are still there, mix 2-3 drops of dish wash soap, 1 liter water, and 1 cup of isopropyl alcohol and spray it all over the plant.
• If the bug’s infestation is severe and they are still there, use pesticides but be careful to follow the precautions. 
• To prevent further infestation, keep the leaves dry. Do not keep the environment too humid.
• Make sure the plant is kept in a well-ventilated place.

Treatment for aphids

• Handpick the aphids if they are few. Do not forget to wear gloves to protect your hand.
• Once done, wash the plant thoroughly with a hose and keep it in a well-lit spot to dry the water. 
• You can add ladybeetle to clear the pests.
• Make a detergent soap solution, and spray it on the English ivy.
• If the pests still stay, mix 1 tablespoon Neem oil in 1 gallon of water and 1 spoon of dishwashing soap. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray all over the plant and repeat this 2-3 times every week until the aphids are gone.

Treatment for spider mites

It isn’t easy to spot spider mites as they are very tiny.

• Wash the ivy under a powerful water hose. 
• Use horticulture oil or Neem oil as they are organic and do not cause any harm to the plant. Mix water with horticulture oil or Neem oil and spray them over the ivy.
• Or make a Neem oil solution with rubbing alcohol, water, or liquid soap and spray it all over. This is a strong mixture, and it will clear the infestation effectively.

Treatment for scales

• Prune the heavily infested parts of the ivy.
• Use toothpicks or forceps to get rid of the scales.
• In case of a light infestation, take 1 tbsp of detergent and mix with 4-5 cups of warm water. Then dip cotton balls in this mixture and wipe the infected areas.
• Rubbing alcohol is quite effective in clearing scales. Dip cotton balls in the rubbing alcohol and wipe the infected areas. You can also spray a mixture of 6-7 parts of water with 1 part of rubbing alcohol.
• You can also use insecticidal soap.

Treatment for white flies

If whiteflies have infested your ivy, try dealing with it during the morning as they stay inactive. 

• Spray or wash the plant with a hose to eliminate the flies. 
• Focus more on the bottom of the leaves. The flies crowd those spots. 
• After that, quarantine the plant, so the flies do not spread to the other plants.
• Use sticky traps to trap the flies. Pests attract yellow colors, so they attack the tapes and then get captured in the tape.
• Use a vacuum at the low-suction mode to vacuum the undersides of the ivy leaves. 
• Spraying insecticidal soaps are also effective.
• You can prepare a water and vinegar solution and wipe the leaves with it or spray the solution on the ivy.
• Check the underside of the ivy leaves to find if the whiteflies have left their larvae and if you see an ant, prune those leaves immediately.

Guttation on your English ivy

Sometimes the leaves of your ivy release a liquid substance, making the leaves sticky.

This happens when the ivy becomes heavily saturated, can’t absorb more water, and starts to transpire to eliminate the excess moisture.

This process is known as transpiration, and it releases the excess moisture inside the plant through the leaves.

While releasing water, the leaves also release the sap, making the surface sticky.

This is called guttation.

When you notice the sticky leaves on your ivy but fail to notice any pest infestations and instead see tiny crystal sap-like objects on the leaves, be assured it is guttation.

This is a natural process and not harmful to the plant.

But you must clean the leaves as they become sticky.

Otherwise, the sap accumulating on them may attract fungus and pests.

Is guttation harmful to English ivy?

Guttation is a natural process for plants to eliminate the excess moisture trapped inside.

It’s not a harmful process, but anything too much can get harmful.

So if the guttation rates are too high, the plant will lose nutrients and moisture, weakening the plant.

The leaves of your ivy can get white and burn marks if the plant loses too much of its moisture.

To maintain the level of moisture around and to avoid excessive guttation, follow the below tips:

• Do not overwater your plant. Excess moisture in the soil increases guttation rates as the plant cannot absorb the excess moisture.
• Keep the humidity levels in check. Do not keep the plant in a very damp and humid environment. There must be sufficient light and air to allow airflow and evaporation.
• Do not overfertilize the plant. Overfertilization leads to salt and mineral buildup, which affects the leaves and leads to burns in the foliage and increased guttation.
• Use filtered water or distilled water only to water your plant. Tap water contains minerals like chlorine and fluoride that increases the guttation. 

How to clean the sticky leaves on the English ivy?

The primary reason for sticky leaves in English ivy is honeydew secreted by the pests after consuming the sap.

Cleaning the leaves and keeping them clean is important to repel pests.

Let’s understand some ways to keep the leaves of your ivy clean:

• Mix 1litre of water with 1 tbsp of liquid soap or detergent.
• Use cotton swabs to wipe the leaves on both sides.
• If the leaves are too many, you can spray generously, focusing on the underside of leaves where bugs mostly stay.
• If you do not have access to the above ingredients, utilize rubbing alcohol to wipe the leaves.

Prevent sticky leaves on English ivy

Now let me discuss a few tips on keeping your English ivy healthy and thriving.

• Choose a spot for your English ivy with ample bright light and a few hours of direct sunlight in winter. Low light is one of the primary causes of pest and fungus attacks.
• Do not keep the soil constantly wet or soggy. Pest finds breeding grounds in a damp environment.
• Make sure there is plenty of airflow around the plant.
• Do not use an excessively large pot to grow your plants. A very large pot holds a lot of excess water in the soil, leading to overwatering and fungus and pest growth.
• Keep an eye on the health and condition of the English ivy.
• Spraying the ivy occasionally with Neem oil helps to prevent bugs and pests.
• Use a soap water spray to clean the ivy leaves every month.

Final words 

Sticky leaves on English ivy occur due to pest infestations and guttation. But remember, if the plant has favorable conditions, it will not produce sticky leaves.

If you find sticky leaves on your ivy, check the plant thoroughly. If you find pests, take immediate steps to remove them.

If the stickiness is due to guttation, clean the leaves and correct the unfavorable conditions.

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Reference: Researchgate, University of Tennessee, Mississippi State University, Central Florida Research and Education Center, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.