[Community_garden] how NOT to deal with poison ivy

[Mike McGrath]

Fred is correct about the plant being liked by more people than you'd think; 
Washington & Jefferson apparently both used the plant as an ornamental. 
(Maybe those tough old birds didn't react as easily as us 21st Century 
weenies.)

and it's so 'random' because its spread by birds what eat the berries. 
There's a planting opportunity every time a birdie takes off.

                                                        ---Mike McG
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Conrad" <fred.conrad at acfb.org>
To: "Alliums" <garlicgrower at green-logic.com>; 
<community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 8:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Community_garden] how NOT to deal with poison ivy


> Dorene,
>
> I've used impatiens biflora (snapweed and I didn't check this reference
> so be charitable if I'm off) for bee stings.  It's a fun wild plant,
> you'd have to assume any medicinal quality would be similar to the
> domestic cousin.
>
> One more comment about poison ivy!  The real key to the whole thing is
> the ability to identify it.  If you recognize the plant in it's many
> shapes, colors, sizes, lusters, and habitats, you can mostly avoid it
> entirely or prepare yourself to confront it.  I think that by and large,
> the plant is so tricky with the leaves being flat in the shade, convex
> in the sun; dark green here, yellowish there; shiny and redish when
> young, dusty and deep later; smooth edged, rough edged, oak shaped,
> maple shaped; bush, vine, tall ground cover, hairy, intertwined, etc etc
> etc that many times it catches people off guard.
>
> I give it a lot of credit for being so cheerfully random.  I remember
> back in the old days when it was known as Rhus radicans... We were all
> younger then and the world seemed so full of promise.  Now they've
> changed it to Toxicodendron which sounds so hateful, and it's not
> hateful, it just is what it is.  We've hardened our hearts against it,
> the whole world seems alien and less friendly and cold winds turn our
> heads.  Oh well, my fate is my destiny, as they say.  I think I'm going
> to get some more coffee.
>
> fgc
> Fred Conrad
> Community Garden Coordinator
> Atlanta Community Food Bank
> 732 Joseph E Lowery Blvd, NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
> ph: 678.553.5932 fx: 678.553.5933
> fred.conrad at acfb.org    <http://www.acfb.org>
> Our mission is to fight hunger by engaging, educating and empowering our
> community.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: community_garden-bounces at list.communitygarden.org
> [mailto:community_garden-bounces at list.communitygarden.org] On Behalf Of
> Alliums
> Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 6:28 PM
> To: community_garden at list.communitygarden.org
> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] how NOT to deal with poison ivy
>
>
>
> Hi, Folks!
>
> Mike is a wimp -- bow saw, my eye!  We go after those poison ivy vines
> on the trees with a machete!
>
> Of course, my husband, the macheter, is immune to poison ivy -- people
> almost think I'm serious when I say that's why I married him! ;-)
> (Actually, I didn't know until after we'd been married a few months, but
> if I HAD known, it would have definitely weighed in his favor! ;-D)
>
> What do you think about Balsam (Impatiens Balsamina) as a "cure plant",
> Mike?  Personally, I love the flowers and look for every excuse to
> plant/reseed, but I've had my volunteers slice the stem and rub it
> anywhere they think they have been exposed to poison ivy.  I thought it
> worked, but maybe it was just the stem being so juicy.
>
> Dorene
>
> Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
> St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and
> Labyrinth
>
> A mission of
> St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA
> 19460
>
>
>
>
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