Is this poison ivy?

Discussion in 'Identification Area' started by oemodm, Jan 19, 2014.

  1. oemodm

    oemodm Apprentice Gardener

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    Hello everyone,

    I'm hoping these pictures will help some gardening master's identify what I think is ivy almost everywhere in our garden. On the grass, trees and the roof. Looking for identification and any home-made weed killers I can use to help kill it off as digging it out is proving to be very hard work.

    Picture 1 = Soil, after pulling some of it out. Lots of roots still down there.
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    Picture 2 = An area yet to be dug up
    [​IMG]

    Picture 3 = Climbing up the tree
    [​IMG]

    Picture 4 = Climbing on the roof
    [​IMG]

    thank you
     
  2. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    Welcome to Gardeners Corner :sign0016:

    Just normal Ivy, Hedera helix.

    We don't get Poison Ivy in this country its an American plant :)
     
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    • oemodm

      oemodm Apprentice Gardener

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      (this is from our garden in mid france).

      Thank you so much Zigs.

      What would you recommend as a natural weed killer for it, something along the lines of vinegar, salt and detergent mixes scattered on the web?

      many thanks again
       
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      Yes, it's just normal ivy (nothing like poison ivy) :blue thumb:

      That mix wouldn't have any effect on it. With the ivy on the trees and the building you need to cut it about 12" from the base and then pull it off.

      WARNING: with the ivy on the building you will also need to cut it just below roof level as it is almost certain to have grown under the tiles and into the roof space. So, with the top part of that you need to remove it carefully.

      On the building it will leave thousands of tiny roots stuck to the walls. The more porous the wall material is, the more it will have stuck. Usually it will need scraping or pressure hosing.

      Pulling ivy from the ground does nothing to get rid of it. It requires digging or weed killing. You appear to have a lot of it so it will be a big job. When we moved in here we had lots of it (about half an acre) and dug it all out. We still have some in areas that don't matter but the rest is, more or less, under control.

      I can't help you with the weed killing bit as we don't use them on our land. Others will be along in a while to advise on that.

      Good luck :blue thumb:
       
    • longk

      longk Total Gardener

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      By the wall cut the trunk a few centimetres above ground level, bore a hole in it and fill with a root killer (can't remember what I used), and drive lots of copper nails/tacks in for good measure. If any trunk is "rooted" into the wall I would cut it into segments and drive lots of copper nails into the segments too. That is what I did on our dry stone wall a few years ago as I didn't want to damage the wall by pulling these chunks out. I'm talking about if the roots have got INTO the masonry. I killed my Ivy.
       
    • oemodm

      oemodm Apprentice Gardener

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      thanks shiney. this is great.

      I would love some home-made weed killer ideas to bypass hours of digging and de-rooting.
       
    • oemodm

      oemodm Apprentice Gardener

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      Lovely advice. Totally fine cutting and hammering the ivy, but would love some weed killer ideas, more natural the better. The plan is to pave this area, so we're not looking to re-grow anything at all.
       
    • Giesabrekk

      Giesabrekk Gardener

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      If you have a well with your own ground water, be extremely careful with weed killers as they could poison it.
       
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      Very few people in this country have their own wells. It used to be fairly common in the countryside but not anymore. In our village there used to be 48 wells but only two now work.
       
    • oemodm

      oemodm Apprentice Gardener

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      Hi everyone - thanks for the continued replies. So far no ideas on natural home made weed killer, or something to cover it? (as we're going to deck over it anyway).

      We do have a well..... but not going to tap from it any way.
       
    • Phil A

      Phil A Guest

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      Problem is, we're not allowed to advise about home made weedkillers, it's illegal in the EU unless they've been approved :sad:
       
    • oemodm

      oemodm Apprentice Gardener

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      Hi Zigs - that would explain it then ;-)

      no problem. What could I cover the soil with, to prevent it coming all back up through a decking?
       
    • Phil A

      Phil A Guest

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      Silly isn't it, our government has said they're highly unlikely to prosecute anyone for spraying roses with washing up liquid, but we still can't be seen to endorse anything like that.

      Good bit of Geotextile should stop it :dbgrtmb:
       
    • oemodm

      oemodm Apprentice Gardener

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      Lovely Zigs - thank you
       
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      • Giesabrekk

        Giesabrekk Gardener

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        Shiney, I thought it was for his house in the middle of France, where it may be common for people to have their own well.

        Where I live, it's normal to have your own well in the garden.
         
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