OT - don't cut your fig tree

[Eden]

Some plants - I believe that figs are in this group, have sap that contains a lot of natural latex - so if you've got a latex allergy you probably should stay away from the sap and the unripe fruit - conversly if you've had a bad reaction to the figs it might be a good idea to be careful around latex rubber gloves, balloons, poinsettias, (all of these were banned from certain wards of the hospital I used to work at) etc.

[bikerchick68]

yep, there are many, many plants that are poisonous and should be dealt with cautiously... unfortunately most people never realize how many until they have something like this happen..

Besides cycling I am an avid gardener. I always wear gloves, long pants, and sturdy shoes when pruning anything... and of course, besides the saps there are also spiders to worry about...

sorry he got sick and is having a bad reaction the med to help him recover too... hope he's better soon... and thanks for the heads up on this!

[mimitabby]

Some plants - I believe that figs are in this group, have sap that contains a lot of natural latex - so if you've got a latex allergy you probably should stay away from the sap and the unripe fruit - conversly if you've had a bad reaction to the figs it might be a good idea to be careful around latex rubber gloves, balloons, poinsettias, (all of these were banned from certain wards of the hospital I used to work at) etc.

yes it is latex. best time to trim figs is in the winter when they are dormant. I would never prune them this time of year, you'd be sacrificing FIGS!!

and they are truly delicious. Fig newtons are only a shade of what a fig really is.

[DrBee]

We knew about the latex issues - which is why I was being extra careful. The Allegra that I take must have helped. Latex is banned from my lab and most other labs at work, because of me. Mr. Fish isn't allergic to anything except for epoxy resin....until now. Mosquitos don't even bother him or poison ivy or anything that bothers most people. Crazy stuff!

We had our best intensions to get rid of the tree over winter, but they were just good intentions. He was using the chainsaw to cut it down to a stump. I think that had something to do with his reacting so badly. Whether it heated up the sap or just vaporized it, I don't know. He's over the jitters now and is super sleepy. Good thing the kids are taking a nap right now. I'm heading home early to help out.

[pkq]

Jitters? He does have it bad. Hope he gets over it real quick.

[DrBee]

Thank goodness the jitters have passed now. He's pretty tired and still polkadotted. Now that the blisters are healing, the rashy spots around the blisters are itchy. I reacted more slowly and only ended up with about 6 or 7 marks and no blisters. As they heal, they get dark red. It's a good look

[donnambr]

Some plants - I believe that figs are in this group, have sap that contains a lot of natural latex - so if you've got a latex allergy you probably should stay away from the sap and the unripe fruit - conversly if you've had a bad reaction to the figs it might be a good idea to be careful around latex rubber gloves, balloons, poinsettias, (all of these were banned from certain wards of the hospital I used to work at) etc.

This is very good to know. I am highly allergic to natural rubber latex. I have to wear heavy gloves to put air in my tires and especially to change them, which makes it challenging to say the least. I can't even go into grocery stores where they have balloons on the sale tables. (Do any of you buy more because of balloons?? That's what stores tell me when I ask them about not using them!) Over the years, I have developed allergies to the "Big 3" cross-reactives: kiwi, banana, and avocado. I cried the day I got mouth hives from guacomole. Banana is another really annoying allergy when you ride a bike...

I guess pruning fig trees is not in my future.