When to Prune. 1  Trim early-spring-flowering shrubs right after they bloom. 2  Summer-flowering plants should be clipped in winter or early spring. 3  For non-flowering plants, trim after new growth has completely formed.
Vinegar - Just sprinkle liberally on rash or blisters for instant relief from itch. caused by poison ivy. Although the smell may not be to everybody's liking, vinegar seems to help draw out the poison from poison ivy while it also helps healing. White distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar seem to work best. Banana peel - Touted by many as a homemade miracle cure, the inside of a banana peel rubbed on poison ivy rashes seems to bring instant, cooling relief. By some accounts, banana skins may even do the trick when all other poison ivy treatments fail.
Get rid of ivy before it takes over your home. Whether looking to eradicate poison ivy, English ivy or other ivy types, white vinegar is a safe, nontoxic method to rid your property of the plant, as vinegar's acid content makes it an ideal weed killer among its many other home uses. A salt and soap combination is another effective method of controlling ivy. 2  Combine three pounds of salt with 1/4 cup of liquid soap in one gallon of water, then pour the mixture into a spray bottle or garden sprayer. 3  Apply boiling water to plant roots daily to kill ivy.