I too am EXTREMELY SENSITIVE to poison ivy and recently broke out in a similar rash after being careless while propagating my all time favorite plant, the philodendron micans. I also suspected that had to be it so I took a fresh cutting and dabbed the sap several times in my arm and didn't wash off for a few hours. Somewhere between 12 & 24 hours later, I started feeling that familiar itch and watched as my test patch gradually spread out the size of a dime and rose up with the little tiny bubble pattern I'm used to seeing with poison ivy rash. THIS SUCKS! I'm in the middle of battling it right now and in my research found this helpful article. I also read another helpful tip that said the sap from these plants can somehow penetrate through standard medical gloves so thicker gardening type gloves should be used when propagating and caution should also be taken when refreshing propagation water. I plant to purchase some thick, SOLID rubber gloves that can easily be thoroughly washed. NOT those gardening gloves that have a breathable section at the back of the hand and wrists! You should also clean the tools you use and the work area. Rubbing alcohol AT LEAST 70% grade is known to be effective for cleaning tools that have come in contact with poison ivy so I plan on implementing that. As well as never shortcutting again by taking rushed cuttings and not doing the basics like laying out a protective mat and immediately washing my hands afterwards. I lazily let my NUMEROUS cuttings drop to the floor (CARPET!) and I know I didn't wash my hands right away like I normally do. A couple hours later I laid on this floor in a tank top and got a mild rash a day later across my upper back and shoulder area as well as my ear lobes which I believe is from handling my earbuds right after propagating my favorite plant. PLEASE MAKE MY PAIN WORTH IT AND LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU... PUH-LEAZE!

orchidlily, I know of its effect on a banana farm. It causes the banana fruits to ripen in geometric proportions. However, here might be some information that you can use.

I can sympathize with your predicament since I've had severe allergies since I was a kid, although not asthma. I would take some of the article above with a grain of salt, since for instance some maple trees have both male and female flowers, so would have seeds and pollen, or he treats all mold as one, but your allergies won't. I can't deal with mildew or penicillin, but have no issues with using organic mulches such as woodchips. You have to figure out what you react to and avoid it. In my case, DH waits to mow the lawn until I will be out of the house for several hours and he makes sure that all windows and doors are closed since grass is a major trigger for me. I have adjusted my life to avoid triggers and learned to jump in the shower and change clothes if I get into something by accident that makes me sneeze and itch. I would recommend allergy shots since my list of triggers is much shorter after a bunch of years of them and my quality of life much nicer. My view is that allergy-free gardening is an oxymoron, especially given that wind will blow microscopic allergens quite far, but that I can make choices that will reduce the impact of my allergies on my life. I would tend to doubt that Nicotiana is the culprit for you. Most of the flowers that shed lots of pollen are wind pollenated, not insect or bird pollenated and have unobtusive flowers. In the spring much of the pollen is from trees (in my area oak, maple, and pine) in the summer, it's grasses, and now it's various herbaceous perennials. A flower like Nicotiana with its showy blossoms is insect and bird pollenated, while the wind pollenated blossoms tend to be small and greenish since they don't need to attract attention. Thus, many folks think that they are allergic to goldenrod (with showy blooms) while they are in fact allergic to ragweed which blooms while the goldenrod is blooming but with virtually invisible tiny green flowers, but lots of pollen. The other frequent allergen blooming right now is plantain, also having tiny green flowers. I have learned to wear gloves (and I wear long pants all summer since skin contact with grass, among other plants, gives me an allergic reaction) to pull these plants in my yard early in the season before they start blooming. I wouldn't be surprised if you look around the Nicotiana bed and find either ragweed or plantain nearby in bloom. Out of the growing season I rarely work in the garden on windy days since I've found that fungal spores like mildew are flying around more. My best recommendation is to keep track of what seems to bother you and at what time of year and then do your best to avoid those things. Shower and change clothes if you find yourself sneezing or itching (to remove allergens) and don't handle the clothes after your shower - put them right into the washer. Have allergy testing done if it gets too bad, and/or talk to your doctor about medication if you feel the need. I've managed to accomodate, but if it gets too bad, find a different pasttime that will be healthier for you.

Well, basically in most areas moisture from the soil is always rising to the surface in the form of vapor. This isn't the same thing as free water arising from the soil due to poor drainage, underground springs, etc., from poorly-drained (whether seasonally or permanently) soil. Rising water vapor is not really a defect of drainage, but it can cause problems in houses where the rising vapor becomes trapped underneath the house contributing to structural damage and a dampness up into the house sometimes causing mold problems. The cure for soil vapor is primarily to block it at the soil level to prevent it from becoming trapped under the house. In some situations it is impossible to do that, then the cure is to vent it with fans (though this can cause other problems related to moisture vapor in the outside air). A third option, and may be what you have to do if you have a house on a piers, is to block it directly under the floor supports. Though, this again, is less than perfect because you are also preventing moisture that is already in the house from exiting through the floor. Fortunately not much moisture vapor flows downward, but it's still a risk. Many people use simple construction poly as moisture vapor barriers, but there are better, longer-lasting specific products for this. Can you try opening up the space under your house and assessing the condition of the soil? If it's very moist you would want to actively vent it with fans, ASAP. Then consider what you want to do about blocking further moisture. Often it's a combination of poor surface drainage and rising vapor. Each must be dealt with separately. (As as aside, when I mentioned a "thorough steam cleaming" in my first post I did not mean a steam cleaning of a carpet - that I would simply remove if there was any questions of allergy issues- I meant a through steam cleaning of all the wall surfaces, ceiling, floors and woodwork. One advantage of using a steamer over simple waster washing is that it contributes less moisture, doesn't require rinsing, etc. In fact in really dirty situations I usually do both: a water washing first to remove as much gross contamination as possible, followed by a steam cleaning. If you're thinking of buying a steamer, I suggest you ask if there are any open box models avail. Sometimes these are returns in excellent condition at very good prices. Steamers, as a class of appliance, are often over-sold as miracle cleaners, in my opinion. The result is that vendors get returns when people realize that it is isn't quite what they expected. However, they do have their uses in a situation like you describe. Buying a returned unit with full-warranty is a less expensive way to acquire one for the occasional major cleaning uses -as opposed to the claims of using it every day to clean everything from your toothbrush to your toilet bowl. My steamer is a Ladybug model, which I am generally happy with. If I was to replace it, I might consider a more powerful unit.) HTH, Molly