A Story About Thugs

Kathleen Lang was the guest speaker at the May meeting of the Tweed and District Horticultural Society. Kathleen, a graduate of Algonquin College Horticulture and Landscaping Program is also a Master Gardener with Lanark County. Her presentation entitled “Poison Ivy and other Thugs” informed the audience about poisonous plants in our communities.

The audience was astonished to learn the dangers of wild parsnips. The sap from this plant gives an acid-like burn and can scar for life! Kathleen drew gasps when she stated that a man had died within 4 days due to toxic shock from this plant.  How do we get rid of it? Cut the plant in June and again in late August/early September before it flowers. Since it is an annual, with no seeds from the flower heads, there will be no plants the next year. Since many municipalities have cut back on mowing the sides of the rural roads, this plant is invading our landscapes. Kathleen suggests that the cuttings need taken to the dump to ensure that they seeds do not spread.

The motto for poison ivy, “leaves of three, let it be!” Not all poison ivy looks the same so beware!

Other poisonous plants Kathleen shared in the power point presentation included Queen Anne’s lace, cow parsley, poison hemlock and stinging nettle.

Kathleen suggested tips to prevent injury…

- Never weed or use string trimmers without covering up…long pants, long sleeve shirt, gloves and eye protection are a must!!!!

-Wash garden clothes thoroughly after gardening to remove potential nasty plant compounds-this is what Kathleen called “secondary transfer”.

- If you develop a rash or blisters, seek medical help immediately.

Websites to check out….

- www.poison-ivy.com

- Agriculture Canada website

- University of Guelph’s agricultural information website

 Kathleen shared a recipe for getting rid of garden pests like slugs, beetles.etc….shred rhubarb leaves into a bucket (do not use the bucket for anything else). Add boiling water. Leave to steep overnight. Keep mixture in a well labeled bottle. Mix “2 fingers” with 2 gallons of water and spray. Do NOT spray on any fruit trees or vegetable crops….very toxic.

June Meeting:

Guest speaker, Donna Fano will give a slide presentation on the mushrooms of the Quinte region.

Looking Ahead:

May 18…Plant Sale at Tweed Memorial Park. Please have plant material at the park by 7am. If you have a large quantity of one plant, having a colour photo wrapped in plastic will help to entice the buyers!!! For more information or if you need your plants picked up,  please contact Joan@613-478-6115

May 29…Bus Trip to Ottawa…opportunity to explore several nurseries and shop, shop, shops for plant materials. Cost is $45.00 per person. For more, please contact Linda @613-478-6850.