Neighbors - Ugh!

[lgb&dtuba]

But poison ivy is virtually indestructible. I just stay out of the woods in the summer--I'm allergic to the stuff.

Rick "who hasn't yet gotten his annual exposure" Denney

Ortho Brush-B-Gone has been the only thing that has worked for me on poisin ivy. I had to take out a particularly large vine of it a few years back. Involved cutting a foot gap in the vine, which was over an inch thick, and painting both exposed ends with full strength Brush-B-Gone several times. In fact, I duct taped a jar of it to the section going up the tree and let the vine drink it. Didn't kill it over night, but kill it it did.

As long as I catch it early, spraying Brush-B-Gone kills it effectively.

It just pops up randomly somewhere in the yard every couple of years. Guess birds drop the fertilized seeds or something.

No kudzu so far, though.

Jim

[Chuck(G)]

Wonder why none of the alternative energy flacks has proposed kudzu for a biofuel source? Leave the corn for likker...

Out here, in the PNW, the big weed problems are Himalayan blackberries, Scotch Broom, and poison oak.

After years of spraying blackberries with Garlon and Glyphosate (separately and in various mixtures) at various times of year, I became convinced that you can't kill the stuff by spraying--the roots are too tough. Over the past couple of years, I've been spending the winter with a shovel digging the buggers out and burning them. It's a lot of work, but it gets the job done. Same deal with PO--after you cut the vines that are as thick as your arm and 30' tall.

The other problem with spraying is that it kills off the grasses--and then you get big patches of Siberian thistle taking over.

The only permanent way to deal with Scotch Broom (now in full bloom) is to pull the whole plants up--and keep at it for a few years--the seeds can remain dormant for up to 60 years. The state tried a weevil as a biological control, but it wasn't hardy or hungry enough.

[lgb&dtuba]

Wonder why none of the alternative energy flacks has proposed kudzu for a biofuel source? Leave the corn for likker...

Just a matter of time. Meanwhile http://home.att.net/~ejlinton/jelly.html for kudzu recipes. Heed the warnings about harvesting where it's been sprayed to try to get rid of it.

And no, I haven't (nor will I) try any of those recipes. I can't even stand collards or kale.

Jim 'not a grazer' Wagner

[Chuck(G)]

Just a matter of time. Meanwhile http://home.att.net/~ejlinton/jelly.html for kudzu recipes. Heed the warnings about harvesting where it's been sprayed to try to get rid of it.

Those recipes actually look pretty interesting. Too bad we don't have the stuff this far north. But I could imagine deep-fried kudzu leaves stuffed with spicy ground nutria...

...From the same site:

The best fertilizer I have discovered for kudzu is 40 weight non detergent motor oil.

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Thinking about the neighbor with the "meadow" yard...

You know, after that grass goes to seed, it'll go dormant and brown. Maybe a compromise could be reached with the neighbor to mow it then.

At least she's not dumping a bunch of herbicides/pesticides/fertilizer into the water table, so it's not all bad.

Just thinkin' here.

[lgb&dtuba]

Too bad we don't have the stuff this far north.

Yet.