Poison Ivy

[Nefarious]

Is it just me or does it seem to be everywhere nowadays?

It's growing on everything in my neighborhood. I just don't seem to remember it being this bad when I was a child. Is it because less people are taking care of their yards? More run down properties? Its coming up in my yard, little tiny vines of it. The nearest vine is 100 feet from my house on a neighbors fence.

[fbWldcat]

There are a few reasons for this.

1. Poison ivy grows everywhere. It is very hardy and difficult to get rid of.

2. If you live in a new neighborhood, think about where it was built. Was a swath of forest cleared to make room for the new houses? If so, there's the key. That is where all the itchy goodness originated from.

3. All plants respond to CO2 levels. Some more than others. Poison Ivy is very sensitive to changes in CO2, and heightened levels allow it to explode. Photosynthesis can occur very rapidly in warm and humid conditions, since the plant doesn't have to "worry" about losing as much water through the pores in its leaves due to more of an equillibrium in H2O concentration (think about why gardeners mist plants). This causes the pores (or stoma) to stay open for longer periods of time to allow more CO2 in.

Heightened levels of CO2 from higher animal populations and car exhaust plus the fact that pretty much anywhere in America besides parts of the Southwest/Midwest are moderately to extremely humid means that you'll be looking at more and more ivy for decades to come.

[Delirium]

Best bet is to look for poison ivy during the early fall months and look for the leaves to change. For some reason, poison ivy's leaves changes before anything else and turn a brilliant red and brown long before the trees change color. This is the time to treat the poison ivy with killer designed for it.

[Saxman]

Yeah, better be careful with Poison Ivy, or you might end up with an itchy rash.

*RIMSHOT*

[Volron]

(Image removed from quote.)

Yeah, better be careful with Poison Ivy, or you might end up with an itchy rash.

*RIMSHOT*

 

[TheCrazyOrange]

Don't know, don't care. Never been had a reaction to it. Or poison oak either.

Rolled around in it before fights as a kid.

[LCADolby]

Don't know, don't care. Never been had a reaction to it. Or poison oak either.

Rolled around in it before fights as a kid.

I bet you lick it as a party trick.

[Xavier]

You can make soup out of it and it's pretty damn good 

[zack1234]

Its the North Koreans and when your a kid you have better things to do than look at foliage

[BuckShot]

I use vinegar and water in a spray bottle to kill it. It takes a few applications, but I'd rather use it than chemical herbicides.

[Nefarious]

I got some gloves and removed the little vines from my yard.

My problem is that we have a fence that has lots of flowering vines on it, Clemantis, Hops, Morning Glory, Hummingbird Vines and I have to remain vigilant and kill it before it takes hold. Every year I find little baby vines and remove them with gloves, removing as much root as I can.

If it ever took hold and I went a year without pulling them it would spread right up that fence.

[-ammo-]

When I was a kid growing up in Alabama, I didn't even have to contact it; get close enough was all it took to break out in a rash.

Not all of us are tough as CrazyOrange

[Meatwad]

Poison ivy must die 

[68ZooM]

propane weed burner does a mighty fine job.

[MiloMorai]

propane weed burner does a mighty fine job.

Just don't breath any of the smoke.