in hindsight, what invasives would you avoid?
Juliana63
19 years ago
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wildcitywoman
18 years agolast modified: 9 years agobirdinthepalm
18 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
What plants do you avoid composting?
Comments (30)Well, for me, it's 'better safe than ITCHY'. "For sensitive/sensitized people" seems to be the controlling factor. Found a pretty interesting article ... with lots of pro/con. ....SNIP...One of the more interesting references was a paper from the Journal of Investigative Dermatology Volume 4 (1941) by B. Shelmire. Shelmire ponded, dried, crushed, washed, drowned and "roofed" pieces of the plant and still found it a potent source of urushiol even after a year and a half (to sensitive individuals). ....SNIP....Intuitively, some poison ivy experts and composting practitioners guess that the poison ivy toxin decomposes during composting but there are plenty of "ifs" and "maybes" in their statements. Outside of the compost pile, there is ample evidence that the poison ivy toxin can persist and remain potent for years. Unfortunately, there isn�t a clear cut answer about the fate of poison ivy during composting. [barb: in other words, expert/experimental advice is YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN] ....SNIP.... The plant is most potent in the spring and early summer when the sap is rising and the urushiol content is high. ....SNIP..... Still, there are other indications that urushiol decomposes naturally. First, we are not overrun with cases of poison ivy despite the persistence of the toxin and ubiquity of the plants. Secondly, according to Susan Carol Hauser, author of Nature�s Revenge(1), leaves that naturally fall off the plant do not contain urushiol. Furthermore, leaves do gradually lose potency over time. Finally, there is anecdotal testimony. For instance, commenting to the U.S. Composting Council Internet listserv, the manager of a large yard trimmings facility mentioned that users of raw shredded yard trimmings mulch have reported developing the poison ivy rash while no users of the composted product have ...SNIP..... As a side note, given the uncertainties, it is wise to keep poison ivy vegetation out of the backyard compost pile. Here is a link that might be useful: Poison Ivy composting...See MoreNeighbors
Comments (2)I had to check out that post on the mid atlantic forum - it was about deer devastation and made me really glad I live in town. There used to be one for coastal communities, but it was pretty inactive - not sure if it's even still in existence. Now I just visit trees, shrubs, perennials, and of course our dear old NE forums. The landscape design forum is fun, too, but those guys can get a little cranky, especially when people are asking for a free design and/or when newbies post "mock ups" with all sorts of plants "scaled to fit." The crankiness gets to you eventually, so I stopped even lurking there....See MoreHow would you avoid Swiss cheese ceiling in this space?
Comments (17)Late to the thread -- a perfect example in the above where a smaller diameter can is not always the best solution for general lighting. Many (including myself) like the small cans and think they will be less intrusive, but if you add 40+ it just becomes ridiculous. I second the recommendations above wrt to putting in an overhead light and/or wiring your outlets to a wall switch; you simply need it to navigate through at night. I do like lamps and use them most often, but for task work and entering a dark room, a wall switch in the right location (or locations -- I have two in my FR) is invaluable. Another option alluded to above -- LED tape light and bars give a lot of uplighting options, hidden in small soffets or as uplights in a picture rail....See Morehindsight- would you be a stepmom again?
Comments (97)Hi dirtdivarocks! Thanks for your comment. And thanks for the question (I appreciate being challenged on my thinking/judgment). In response, and in fairness to him, I have to say that my original post did not tell the entire story. It told the story, basically, where it stood at the time. But, for the 10 months prior to his initial jobloss, he had a decent-paying job. So, he was providing for himself and for his child. He just hasn't done a very good job of picking himself from the hard times. I understand that rough times will come. I think most of us have experienced hardship/financial struggle at some point in time. What concerns me most is how one prepares for and/or responds to those rough times. This was a great opportunity for him to demonstrate to me that he's the type of guy who will do what it takes to provide for himself and his family. He didn't do so good of a job at rising to that challenge. One thing I did learn is that, in the future, I must pay attention to when a man doesn't seem to have that "get up and go" that I like. I think it is truly an innate quality that one either has . . . or does not. I agree with you - being with a man who cannot support his family is . . . a REALLY bad situation to put oneself in. It's even worse when he has a child. I thank God that I was able to finally cut it off....See Moresheryl_ontario
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