Our property has a lot of poison ivy. I wait until the plants are getting dormant in the fall then I don my rubber boots (wading boots are even better)and long gloves (to my shoulders). I use my digging fork to loosen or dig the roots, then pull the roots manually. Most are on the surface, and they are far easier to get rid of than dandelion or thistle. I am very careful not to touch the plants. I also make sure the fork and gloves are washed well when I finish. I would not recommend someone who is very allergic to poison ivy to do this. When we first moved to our property, we covered areas with black plastic. At the end of a season or two, the ivy roots are half dead and the roots are easier to pull. I must say I would be more afraid of handling a pesticide like Roundup than pulling the poison ivy manually.
Re other weeds: I have started to spot treat Canada thistle with 20% vinegar. For years I have been battling them by cultivating and endless hours of digging. If a tiny piece of root is left, it grows again. The plant turns brown and shrivelled in an hour after applying the vinegar. I have to keep an eye if it re-grows and if a re-application is needed. So far, the weeds I spot -treated two weeks ago have not come back. If anyone is interested, I can explain where to get and how to prepare the solution. Supermarket vinegar is only 5%. I"ve tried it and it is not strong enough. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allan Balliett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 5:26 AM Subject: Re: RoundUp > Micah - Let me be explicit: I do not use Round-up, nor do I condone it's use. > > Poison Ivy is one of the plants in the US which will cause otherwise > sensible people to reach for the Round-up. Any ideas on remediating > poison ivy infestations would be appreciated. (One fellow here pours > boiling water on the plants and claims great success. I use my goats > or hogs...when I have the time to set up the pens, etc.) > > -Allan > > >Greetings all, > >I have to say I am a little alarmed by the recent discussions about Roundup- > >am I understanding correctly that Roundup is used by some on this list? Some > >of the posts seem to defend it a bit, unless I am confused here. > > > >Also, I suggest that folks look into another weed killer I have heard some > >about, called Finale. As I understand it (do more deep research on this to > >be sure) it is a chemical related to Roundup, but in a form which more > >quickly breaks down in the soil, and which does not profit Monsanto. > > > >Strength & Wisdom, > >Micah > > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > >---- > >Al-Qemi- Alchemical & Spagyric products for healing body, spirit & soul. > >Visit us on the web at: www.al-qemi.com <http://www.al-qemi.com> > >
