Varigated engligh Ivy?
- Thread starter Austin
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rockm
Spuds Moyogi
English ivy (hedera helix) can make great bonsai, IF you can find an older trunk. This species grows wild here in Va. and I've seen a number of arm thick or thicker trunks growing up oaks at old plantation sites. Variegated cultivars generally make poor bonsai, as their leaves tend to make the plant look "sickly."
ANY species that makes a woody trunk and has reliable backbudding can be made into bonsai. Nick Lenz made a great bonsai out of a poison ivy vine he collected. It was a pretty nice little bonsai. I think he said someone stole it...Guess you'd have to wear gloves to prune it. There are pretty awesome old poison ivy vines here too. Some in protected national sites around No. Va. are well over 300 years old and can be as big around as a man...
ANY species that makes a woody trunk and has reliable backbudding can be made into bonsai. Nick Lenz made a great bonsai out of a poison ivy vine he collected. It was a pretty nice little bonsai. I think he said someone stole it...Guess you'd have to wear gloves to prune it. There are pretty awesome old poison ivy vines here too. Some in protected national sites around No. Va. are well over 300 years old and can be as big around as a man...
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
I too have seen some w/ arm/wrist sized trunks on old walls. I bet you can make several bonsai out of one vine.
Re: poison ivy, I've seen several here about 6" diameter on old oaks but I stay away from them...as far as possible.
Re: poison ivy, I've seen several here about 6" diameter on old oaks but I stay away from them...as far as possible.
the poison ivy thing sounds kinda cool, I actually am not very allergic to poison ivy on most of my skin my face and stomach are the exception, I walk around the woods barefoot all summer here, must have built some resistance to the toxin over time. I know when I was younger I would get it about once a year maybe twice but that stopded at around 11 years old havn't had any sense.
a good treatment for poison ivy is to scrape it open as soon as possible then pour bleach over it in a very high concentration over a tub then soak in a tub I typically just pour bleach right on it streight then mix it in the soaking tub.
so cool I'l try both varigated and non to see wich I like most =D
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
Careful...do not tempt faith. I learned it is the opposite and instead of developing resistance to it, you actually get desensitized and reaction gets worse overtime. I spoke with several tree trimmers, woodworkers, and arborists who shared same experience.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Yep. You can lose immunity with exposure...
very interesting, from my understanding of the human immune system ( I had a lot of health problems over the last three years wich is why I started bonsai I needed something else to research) is if you take it in small doses over a long period of time you build an immunity, but if your constantly getting large doses you lose immunity. May not be exactly the case but thats how it appeared to work.
another note poision ivy never itched for me ever I just got the rash.
and the bleach treatment when done as I discribed it dried it out in 2-4 days.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
It cuts both ways, you can gain or lose immunity.
http://www.poison-ivy.org/html/faq.htm
From poisonivy.org:
"Some people appear to be immune, others become immune. HOWEVER, you can gain or lose immunity, so to assume you can't get it if you never have before is foolish. People change as they age. I would never assume that I was immune at any time no matter what my past experience was. "
I was one of the foolish ones. Didn't get it until I was well past 30.
http://www.poison-ivy.org/html/faq.htm
From poisonivy.org:
"Some people appear to be immune, others become immune. HOWEVER, you can gain or lose immunity, so to assume you can't get it if you never have before is foolish. People change as they age. I would never assume that I was immune at any time no matter what my past experience was. "
I was one of the foolish ones. Didn't get it until I was well past 30.
ouch, I know that I have literally rolled in it a few years back and never got a rash, I didn't know I was playing in it to begin with until someone else told me. that was about five or so years ago.
I know I over came a gluten allergy this way and I reduced my reaction to dairy, dairy actually use to make me fall asleep shortly after consuming it now on whey protien will do that to me.
but people with childhood allergies often outgrow them
I know I over came a gluten allergy this way and I reduced my reaction to dairy, dairy actually use to make me fall asleep shortly after consuming it now on whey protien will do that to me.
but people with childhood allergies often outgrow them
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
I know this but let me assure you...no one I know ever went from sensitive to immune with poison ivy. We have a saying ...there are only 2 types of people...those who are sensitive to poison ivy and those who will be.
It is like playing a computer game...you have several tries. Keep using them and you are dead.
I know this but let me assure you...no one I know ever went from sensitive to immune with poison ivy. We have a saying ...there are only 2 types of people...those who are sensitive to poison ivy and those who will be.
It is like playing a computer game...you have several tries. Keep using them and you are dead.
lol I like that saying
"those who are sensitive to poison ivy and those who will be."
however either way I'm not overly concerned about it. seeing how I wasn't extremely sensitive to it to begin with, might have to try this out this coming summer just to see how I react, and no I'm not gonna roll in it again lmao.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
If you insist on doing this, I hope you are living alone. Always think of people who you might get in contact with after working on your poison ivy. Also your clothing and your debris.
It is foolish if you ask me but I assume you are a grown man so do as you wish.
It is foolish if you ask me but I assume you are a grown man so do as you wish.
mostly just a curiousity after this conversation I would do a small like quarter inch patch probley tape it off even with gloves and such and cover it immidately to hopefuly not spread it, wait however long it would take then cut it open and bleach it. by the time summer rolls around however I'll likely have forgotten this this terrible idea (hopefully).
