Getting Weeds out of Ivy
Franklin Fite
the specific species of ivy - it looks like "generic" ivy to me.
The problem: the ivy is full of weeds due to lack of care. The weeds
are of many types from dandelions to sumac bushes. Is there a chemical
or something that ivy is resistant to and that can kill weeds? I real-
ize that I will have to dig up plants one at a time that the chemical
doesn't kill, but the more weeds I can chemically remove, the less my
back will ache!
Any suggestions as to how to clear my ivy patch are appreciated.
Please mail replies to me.
Thanks in advance,
Frank Fite
ihnp4!hotlx!fdf
Room 3F-402
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Holmdel NJ 07733
201-949-1240
Jim Galbiati
>The problem: the ivy is full of weeds due to lack of care. The weeds
>and that can kill weeds?
This is an execllent time of year to cut/pull weeds.
Most are annuals and are busy making seeds for next years crop.
My yard is extremely weedy (the previous owners didn't even cut the lawn
for seven years, according to the neighbors), so this summer we put in
a strong effort to remove weeds. This consisted of three saturday mornings
(may, july, sep) cutting and pulling weeds. Grand total 12 person-hours.
The weeds are definitely on the retreat now. If we pull whatever we
see next year I think we'll have won the yard back. I think 12 hours
of work is worth not contaminating our yard, garden, wildlife,
and neighborhood children with pesticides.
--
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car...@plx.uucp
I have been told by a landscaper friend of mine that you CAN NOT kill ivy,
no matter what. The best weed-killer I know of is Round-Up, which is
phenomenally expensive, but works great and is not supposed to be toxic to
animal life. (I've heard that in the sales demos the guy drinks the stuff!)
And it DOES NOT kill ivy. Have fun.
Jim Greenlee
Whoever told you that Round-Up doesn't kill animal life was
dead (no pun intended) wrong! That stuff is dangerous and
should be used only with extreme caution. It will kill any
plant it comes in contact with - including, but not limited
to, the plants you wanted to get rid of! Be particularly care-
ful if you buy it in concentrated form and follow all label
directions. I refuse to use it at my house because we have
small children, but some of my neighbors have used it to control
grass shoots coming up between the cracks in their walks. It is
a very effective (and deadly) herbicide.
Jim Greenlee
--
The Shadow
Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
...!{akgua,allegra,amd,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!gitpyr!jkg
henning
> dead (no pun intended) wrong! That stuff is dangerous and
> should be used only with extreme caution. It will kill any
> plant it comes in contact with - including, but not limited
> to, the plants you wanted to get rid of! Be particularly care-
> ful if you buy it in concentrated form and follow all label
> directions. I refuse to use it at my house because we have
> small children, but some of my neighbors have used it to control
> grass shoots coming up between the cracks in their walks. It is
> a very effective (and deadly) herbicide.
> Jim Greenlee
From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA mhuxl!smh
Hot water will kill weeds in a walk, but you should have the waste water
available from cooking eggs or potatoes or something to make this practical.
The cheapest and best method is a spray called ROUNDUP. I have used ROUNDUP
for years and have never one bug even get sick from it. I use the concentrate
and mix as directed. I have a shallow well and will not spray any poisons
around my yard. That is the main reason for using roundup. It is a slow acting
spray which must enter green tissue, then is tranlocated to the roots where
it kills the roots. Then, about a week later, the plant dies, roots and all.
The ROUNDUP is not toxic, it will not kill any plant unless it enters the green
tissue. It can not kill roots on contact since contact with soil completely
neutralizes it, hence no residual action. Grounds keepers have sprayed a
lawn one day and planted the same field two days later. The new grass
came in before the old grass died. By the way, ROUNDUP kills grass, as well
as weeds. It is most effective on plants which are near maturity and ready
to bloom. It should not affect moss. No promises on that one.
Jim Greenlee
>The cheapest and best method is a spray called ROUNDUP. I have used ROUNDUP
>for years and have never one bug even get sick from it. I use the concentrate
>and mix as directed.
The point I wanted to make was that Roundup is a garden chemical and
should be used with the same caution you would exercise while using
ANY garden chemical. I was highly perturbed to hear that a salesman
(allegedly) drank the stuff during a demonstration - I would hardly
recommend drinking it, and can't honestly believe anyone would use
a herbicide in such a cavalier manner.
The other point is that different living things react differently to
chemicals. Aspirin is a great pain-reliver for human beings, but will
kill an ordinary housecat. Chemicals also react differently depending
on how they are ingested (orally vs. through the skin for instance).
It is entirely possible that Roundup poses no threat once it is released
into the environment, but there is no telling how it will affect you
if ingested directly.
This is not intended to be a flame towards you, Mr. Henning. I merely
wanted to point out the possible danger of not following label directions
and using chemicals for purposes other than those for which they were
intended. As you pointed out in your reply, there are often methods
available for controlling unwanted plants which pose no threat (perceived
or otherwise :-) to anyone.
Jim Greenlee
P.S. - if you somehow read my first reply before I cancelled it, please
ignore it.
Donn Terry
but I think the active ingredient is "glyphosphate"). In any case, the
description recently posted that it must enter in green tissue and be
transported to the roots is true (and that it goes away quickly). In
fact, I believe the biochemistry is such that when it enters the leaves
it is changed chemically into a root poison, and if applied directly to
the roots it has no effect (because the untransformed form is not a poison).
I have heard of a solution to the specific problem of selective weeding that
started this discussion: "paint" the leaves of the unwanted plants (just
use a small paintbrush.) It will be transported to the roots, killing that
plant, but because a nearby plant did not get it on it's green tissue, it
won't be affected (unless you dribble, of course). I've never tried this,
so I can't vouch for any gotchas, but it sounds reasonable. Try it in
a limited area.
Of course you can always try the Colorado form of weed control: snow
in early October!
Donn Terry
HP
Ft. Collins, Co.
henning
From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA mhuxl!smh
> As far as I can tell, Roundup and Kleenup are the same thing (read the labels,
> but I think the active ingredient is "glyphosphate").
Kleenup is the prediluted form of Roundup. They are glycophosphates.
> I have heard of a solution to the specific problem of selective weeding that
> started this discussion: "paint" the leaves of the unwanted plants (just
> use a small paintbrush.)
One easy way to do selective weeding with Roundup or Kleenup is to put on
rubber gloves, then put a cotton glove over one rubber glove. Then moisten
the cotton glove with Roundup (mixed per directions) and run the "weeds"
through your hand or fingers and avoid touching or dripping on the "good"
plants. This is a must with bind weed since pulling it out just aggravates
the problem since each piece of root forms a new plant.
Andrea K. Frankel
>I have heard of a solution to the specific problem of selective weeding that
>started this discussion: "paint" the leaves of the unwanted plants (just
>use a small paintbrush.)
My local "Rose Doctor" recommended buying one of those little plastic
bottles with the sponge on top that are sold for moistening postage
stamps, and using that to dab the stuff on the offending weeds. He also
stressed wearing plastic gloves, and throwing the gloves and bottle out
after use. I haven't tried it yet - the state of the quackgrass or
whatever it is that invades flower beds around here hasn't got to the
point where it has overcome my distrust of poisons. But it does sound
like the "postage stamp" method would be less subject to accidentally
knocking over an open container onto your prize rose bushes or whatever!
Andrea Frankel, Hewlett-Packard (San Diego Division) (619) 592-4664
"every time that wheel goes round, bound to cover just a little more ground"
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Ruth Sylvester
stressed wearing plastic gloves, and throwing the gloves and bottle out
out of sight. Let's not let it be out of mind. Our garbage *is*
our problem! (With Roundup, though, because of the quick breakdown
on contact with earth, it's less of a problem.)
--
Ruth Sylvester
UUCP: (decvax or ihnp4 or linus or cornell)!dartvax!ruths
Andrea K. Frankel
>Andrea Frankel writes: "He also
>stressed wearing plastic gloves, and throwing the gloves and bottle out
>after use." This just generates another problem, although it's
>out of sight. Let's not let it be out of mind. Our garbage *is*
>our problem! (With Roundup, though, because of the quick breakdown
>on contact with earth, it's less of a problem.)
As I noted, I have yet to actually use any of this stuff, because I
share your reaction to increasing the amount of poisonous garbage
on the planet we all share.
Some cities are investigating or starting "poison disposal" days, where
homeowners can bring small quantities of things which really shouldn't
be dumped down the drain or thrown into general landfills (weed
killers, paints, wood preservatives, etc.); since most of us can't
afford to pay for toxic waste disposal for small amounts, this seems
like a good idea.
Of course, the best idea is to avoid using the gunk in the first place,
but the highest organic and environmentalist ideals often get overcome
by practicalities such as lack of time, bad backs from weeding, and
just plain running out of patience after you pull out the @#%$@%$#!
quack grass for the (n+1)st time. I used to hire a local high school
kid who loved to weed and clean up yards for $5/hr (he was thrilled
to be getting more than miniumum wage; I was thrilled to get someone
who actually did what I asked them to). Now that he's off at college,
I haven't found any neighborhood kids who will do more than a surface
job, and sloppy at that!
How do other aspiring organic gardeners deal with weeds and pests
when working long hours at the computer or laid up with back problems?
(Guilty consciences love company...)