The second secret to variegated ivy care is to significantly reduce the amount of fertilizer you give the plant. Because variegated ivy leaves have less chlorophyll, the plant produces less energy for growth. This means variegated ivy plants grow much slower than their all green cousins. Because they grow slower, they need much less food in the soil. The best fertilizer care of a variegated ivy is to fertilize only once a year, at most. Even then, do so only lightly.