poison ivy & posion oak

Good Morning!  I think perhaps 2010 may be the year of garden plagues.  I have previously blogged about this being a bad year for diseases and insects.  Well, it seems like it's also going to be the year of poison ivy & poison oak. 

It seems like everyday I am finding poison ivy & poison oak in suburban back yards.  Both are native plants commonly found in our woodlands.  Both can grow as vines,groundcovers and even form shrub like clumps.  Those of you that live near wooded areas need to be extra vigilant.  Take some time to go on line and look at pictures to help you identify the plants. They tend to grow in or underneath existing shrubs or up large trees as a vine. Poison ivy vines tend to look hairy where as grape vine looks shaggy like a shag bark hickory.In the event that you find some I would recommend Ortho Brush Be Gone or try a combination of Roundup and vinegar. 

Good Luck & Happy Gardening!