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.
Calamine comes in pink and clear and is a classic antidote. An oatmeal bath can also calm poison ivy symptoms. You can buy a commercial oatmeal preparation (Aveeno), or make your own by wrapping a half cup of uncooked rolled oats in a piece of cloth and letting the cereal soak in the bath water.