[Cob] Ivy on cob walls

[Quinn]

I agree that ivy would probably work its little tendrils into your cob wall and begin to break it down.  How about putting up lathing about a foot away from the wall (after the walls have dried sufficiently and been limed) and letting the ivy grow on that?  As long as you kept the ivy from latching onto your cob, it might serve your purposes.

Quinn

> 
> I think I'd try it on something else first.  Standard advice on vines 
> growing up, say, brick walls is that they might look great but the little 
> roots can degrade the mortar.  And while they might prevent driving rain 
> from hitting your wall, would they then prevent the wall from drying out 
> nicely?  See what happens after a couple of years on the back of a cob bench 
> before you plant at the base of your house?
> 
> ...............
>    I was trying to think of alternate ways to protect cob walls from the
> elements.
> Can anyone think of any possible problems if you lime rendered your walls
> and then let ivy grow all the way up?