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I planted some English Ivy outdoors a couple of weeks ago and the leaves on some of them are turning white.

Can anyone help me with what might be happening and what I can do to help save them?

Not a very experienced gardener here.




Thank you very much,

Hi - that looks like sun or wind burn. Often happens when plants are not gradually introduced to the area they are going to grow in. Can you dig up this plant, put it in a container in a sheltered area for a few hours a day and back indoors at night? It may take a week or more doing this, gradually increasing the ivy's exposure to the elements.
Good luck!

Thank you McPeg.

Well I've planted quite a few of these and am not able to transplant them all. Is there anything else I can try?

Thanks again,

Hi - are they in different spots or in a group? They need protection from bright sun and wind.

Try doing a Google search with this "diy plant covers from sun wind new transplants" and look at the images. Without seeing your planting I'm not sure.

I don't know what materials you have access to at home to improvise something for each plant. I've used washed out milk/beverage cartons that I cut with a utility blade for air holes and opened the top completely and shoved them over/around young plants, empty 4 qt milk jugs - cut off the bottoms to sink in the ground and again, cut out vent holes.

Maybe someone else can help with suggestions?

I think easiest would be to put up some kind of shade -- you can buy spunbonded fabric floating covers but old sheer curtains or sheets would work too. Set up temporary posts to support them so they won't slap down the plants when windy.

It won't take much to get them settled in. English ivy is ridiculously tough -- actually a nuisance in my garden because previous neighbor planted them and they escaped their yard into the woods in the back and are steadily invading from my back fence. I have to rip them out every year just to beat them back, and some of the trees behind the fence have been swallowed whole.

Yeah, your ivy looks sun or wind burned, but will be fine after it has a chance to acclimatize.

But be careful where you plant it. I would never plant it any closer than a neighboring county! The stuff is a menace and once it gets going will swallow trees and houses whole. As applestar said, you will spend a year or so working to get it established and then the rest of your life working to keep it from taking over your yard.