Disease or normal?

[Cowboy Billy]

Hi Jill

What you want is 2-4-D its a stump and brush killer. I usually get mine at TSC but I think you can get it a Lows or Home Depo too. My neighbor is a big farmer and told me to mix roundup with 2-4-D for spraying my fence rows. What one doesn't kill the other does. I have been using that mix in a 16 gal sprayer that mounts on the back of my four wheeler and that works out great on my seven acres. I had some of those poison ivy vines and used it on them. I had to spray them a few times but was able to get it killed off in one summer. I probably should have poured on the 2-4-D directly on the stump as I did to the mulberries but I didn't try it.

I kept on getting poison ivy even though I knew that I wasn't anywhere near it. One day I saw my horse eating the leaves right off of the vine. And I mean great big mouthfuls. I called my best friend Dave and said "I think my horse just killed himself" After talking to him and doing some research I found out poison ivy does not bother most animals. And my horse was giving me the poison ivy.

Billy

 

[jillyjill]

2-4-d

Hi Billy. I love getting tried and true tips from people - thanks. It took me a few minutes to figure out what TSC was (Tractor Supply Company, right?). I'll give Home Depot a try, since that's closer to me. I'm also going to see if I can get my hands on one of those battery-opperated chain saws, so that I don't have to saw manually to get rid of the ugly ivy roots. I'm hoping that I win the battle.

Glad that your horse is ok but that must have made you crazy trying to figure out how you were getting poison ivy reactions!

Thanks again for the advice. Wish me luck.
jill

 

[masterarbor]

never heard of a battery operated chainsaw. consider getting an arborists tophandle saw. it's used for climbing, but it is small and possibly perfect for a female who lacks the confidence to play with a bigger saw. echo 3200 is a lightweight and inexpensive saw that will last a homeowner for ever. i think they are in the low $200's.
good luck,
kevin

 

[jillyjill]

cordless chain saw

Hi Kevin. Yes, a cordless chain saw does exist. I thought it would work for me, given my minimal sawing needs, but my husband has talked me out of it, quoting all sorts of horrible stats on how many people cut off fingers, etc.,. Here's the link (to the saw, not the horrible statistics):

http://www.makita.com/menu.php?pg=product_det&tag=UC120DWD

I searched the Echo site but didn't see a 3200 saw. Is that definitely the model number?

jill

 

[treeseer]

if you cut poison ivy with a chainsaw you risk cutting into the tree--be careful! p i does not strangle like grape and is often ok to leave as far as the tree is concerned. you may want to reconsider your definition of "ugly" before messing further with the ecosystem.
that said, i remove p i in much of my property but leave in the back area. it is not that hard; handsaw cuts it easily. you might want to order one from one of the sponsors here.

re blacknot on cherry, the tree can often live a long time with the infections, and will decline before getting too weak. if it was my tree i would cut it, to make room for others to grow. if and when you do have the tree cut down, it is very good for turning into art objects.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

never heard of a battery operated chainsaw. consider getting an arborists tophandle saw. it's used for climbing, but it is small and possibly perfect for a female who lacks the confidence to play with a bigger saw. echo 3200 is a lightweight and inexpensive saw that will last a homeowner for ever. i think they are in the low $200's.
good luck,
kevin

I see a lot of bad advice given here, and this one is no exception. Top handled saws are NOT saws for the inexperienced!
The close spacing of the handles decreases leverage to control kick-back and encourages one handed use.
All the small top handled saws have rear handled versions that are much better for beginners.

Treeseer, I see we agree that black knot is not ugly, and the only problem with it, is human perception. Toads have ugly growths on them too, I hope she doesn't go through her forest stomping on all the toads! LOL!
What did you mean you would cut it to make room for others to grow? Are you talking about planting new trees, or making room for the existing trees that look like they are doing fine.

 

[masterarbor]

Hi Kevin. Yes, a cordless chain saw does exist. I thought it would work for me, given my minimal sawing needs, but my husband has talked me out of it, quoting all sorts of horrible stats on how many people cut off fingers, etc.,. Here's the link (to the saw, not the horrible statistics):

http://www.makita.com/menu.php?pg=product_det&tag=UC120DWD

I searched the Echo site but didn't see a 3200 saw. Is that definitely the model number?

jill

i did some research and it's the CS 300 i'm talking about.
kevin

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

And again, if she wants a 30cc saw, the CS-300 is a terrible choice! Instead, the CS-306 is what she should look at. Same saw except a much safer handle configuration.

 

[masterarbor]

sounds good. i haven't used an echo for many years. i just remember 'em being light and cheap and durable. i still think a lil top handle saw is ideal. i would rather my wife use one with both hands than a larger saw (or rear handled) saw. but thats just my experience. i know you have a lot of field experience yourself kneejerk, so i encourage the poster to consider both views.

kevin

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Top handles saws are popular with arborists because they are easier to use with one hand. But saws should not be run with one hand, it's very dangerous.

In Europe, were they have more safety regulations, they've tried to get the top handled saws off the market, and some countries require a license to run one.
The same thing is starting here. This is why we are seeing rear handled versions of popular top handled saws, to keep the top handled saws out of homeowners hands and hopefully reduce the statistically high occurrence of injuries with these little weapons!

 

[jillyjill]

To saw or not to saw

Hi all. I originally took on the poison ivy vine chopping project because I was told that such vines are harmful to the trees they invade. Is this not true? Are they (the type in the photo I originally posted), instead, harmless to the trees?

By the way, just to be clear about the black knot issue, the tree that is infected is in bad shape (in the word of my landscaper "sick"). That's why I'm going to have it removed. (By the way, I love frogs! ;-)

On the saw front - one of the things that drew me to the Makita battery operated saw (apparently, not a popular choice) was that it was small and under 5 lbs. I guess, given my complete lack of experience with chain saws, no matter which is the better model, I should probably stick with my manual blade saw.

Thanks - your help is much appreciated!
jill

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Hi Billy. I love getting tried and true tips from people - thanks. It took me a few minutes to figure out what TSC was (Tractor Supply Company, right?). I'll give Home Depot a try, since that's closer to me. I'm also going to see if I can get my hands on one of those battery-opperated chain saws, so that I don't have to saw manually to get rid of the ugly ivy roots. I'm hoping that I win the battle.

Glad that your horse is ok but that must have made you crazy trying to figure out how you were getting poison ivy reactions!

Thanks again for the advice. Wish me luck.
jill

Howdy Miss Jill

You got it TSC = Tractor Supply Company. Sorry for the short hand. I am in there so much I forget not everyone knows it. I have to agree with Kneejerk Bombas. The top handle saws do not give you much leverage on the saw. On the battery power saw I would be worried about the batterys in it. I have a $500 18v Milwaukee power tool kit four years old and the batterys will not even take a charge. I have a lot of projects that need to be done around the house and a new battery pack is $79+ tax. I wish I had bought 110v tools now.

I was thinking I was getting the poison ivy from my cloths and was about to through them all out. Until I found Dancer munchin' on it.

Take care and good luck

Billy

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

For the kind of cutting you can do with the battery saw, a good handsaw will cut faster and never need a charge or new battery. A Sliky Zubat will cut like you can't believe.

All the Black Knot does is form the growths you see. Rarely, it can cause such a large growth, it weakens the limb or even the trunk.
But as the fungus causes unusual growth, the tree adds new wood, so sometimes the area isn't weak at all.
If you see a large area on the trunk, you might want to have an arborist check it out just to make sure it's not a safety issue. Otherwise, why not let it go?

 

[treeseer]

All the Black Knot does is form the growths you see. Rarely, it can cause such a large growth, it weakens the limb or even the trunk.

quite commonly in nc the galls stop circulation and cause death and decline.

ditto on the handsaw. cheaper easier and much less prone to collateral damage.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Lilly, poison ivy can build up in your system, so don't expose yourself unless you MUST. Some folks who seem to have a natural immunity sometimes find that immunity wearing off. Better to avoid contact as much as possible.

If you are working with it, wash thoroughly afterwards, using plain liquid dish soap. Start with soap only, NO WATER. This will cut the oil better than using water. Once you have lathered well, THEN use water to rinse off.

This approach works better for any kind of oil or grease that you get on yourself, from poison ivy to axle grease.

We have a vine in my area that looks just like yours, but is not poison ivy. It's called Virginia Creeper. Leaves are different, but I can't see any difference in the vine itself. I don't know if you have something similar in your neck of the woods.

I have to agree with the pros, here. (I'm not one.) You don't want a chainsaw for that ivy, a handsaw will do nicely. And safely.

 

[Mark Currie]

I can't recall, but does Virginia Creeper have the pronounced red "hairs" on the stems that poison ivy does?

Mark Currie

 

[2FatGuys]

I can't recall, but does Virginia Creeper have the pronounced red "hairs" on the stems that poison ivy does?

Mark Currie

Nope. Creeper looks very similar, but the hairs are a P.I. dead giveaway....

 

[Mark Currie]

Thanks, I was pretty sure that was the case. It's been a few years since I've been around it (in Virginia). We don't get PI any higher than a foot high here and it doesn't grow in vines up a tree like it does down there.

Mark Currie

 

[jillyjill]

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy it is then. Thanks for clarifying. So...are poison ivy vines that spiral up an entire tree and onto its branches not harmful to the tree? Someone along the line said that and I wanted to verify, since I had previously been told otherwise.

Thanks!

(PS - today's country issue is a bird repeatedly flying into a huge fixed one-way window that is directly behind a pine. But...that's an issue for a different forum). If there was a smily face drinking a shot of tequila, I'd insert that here.

jill

 

[Mark Currie]

I don't believe so. It's more harmful to pets and humans than anything. Birds eat the berries and it isn't the most awful looking thing you can have growing on the side of your trees.

Is it the same bird flying into the window? I remember about 10 years ago or so, reading about birds here in town that were flying into a window, falling off branches and otherwise acting quite strange. What they discovered was that they were feeding off of fermented berries still left on the tree and getting slightly buzzed from it. I imagine they were enjoying it, as they would go back to the same tree to feed.

Mark Currie