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The only way to get rid of it permanently is to use Round Up. It will kill off the poison oak or ivy and yet doesn't stay in the ground so you can plant other things once you get rid of those suckers. Good luck. (Its fast also)
Neil Sperry's Guide to Texas Gardening says to apply broad leafed weedkiller to spring or early summer growth. If the ivy has climbed trees, cut the stems at the ground line and apply the weedkiller to the regrowth. Pull the old stems out of the trees with a hoe (and put in a plastic bag for trash collection, I guess.) Don't burn it, as the smoke will have the oil in it, and can cause a reaction in your lungs. Wear long-sleeved clothes and disposable gloves.
Remove Rust from Garden Tools
Here's a sharp idea: remove rust from household tools by using a paste of Salt and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Apply the paste to rusted area with a dry cloth and rub.
Snail Removal
To keep snails out of your garden, all you do is take your egg shells and crush them up and just sprinkle it around. The snails won't cross over and it's good for the garden also. You can even sprinkle it in your potted plants. It's also good for the plants.
A safe cure for snails is Epsom Salts. Just shake the box or bottle around the lawn and in awhile pick up the empty shells.
If you put a dish of beer in a pie plate and put it were you see the snails they will climb in the pie plate and and die.
A copper barrier that they would have to crawl over will also keep them out as they can't touch copper without it killing them.
Mary
I will save my eggshells to sprinkle around the annuals I set out every spring. We have very small slugs (hard to see) but they can munch down a small petunia in just 2 or 3 nights leaving nothing but the stub of a stem. Thanks for the tip.
Elena
I haven't tried the copper wire but I intend to. It should be an easy matter to come back and lift it occasionally to keep mulch from filtering over it. I had to do that with the egg shells also. You might not like the look of the white egg shells on the surface unless it will get covered quickly by the foliage. That did work for my hostas but not the plants that didn't lap over and cover them. I had to go back to the commercial granules for those. I do take my flashlight and go out and hand pick them after dark. It is time consuming but well worth the effort. That works especially well after a rain. They are all out moving around at night after a rain. I crush millions (well it seems like millions anyway) on the brick sidewalks and concrete patio at night after rains. I have a lot of rockwork in my gardens and the snails love to live and reproduce in the cracks and crevices.
