By looneylulu from Ocean City, MD
What's the best way to get rid of poison ivy? Unfortunately, it's popping up even where we planted grass. We live in a very wooded area which we cleared out. I hope to find a natural, no herbicide way, to get rid of the poison ivy. Thanks for any help.
By Contester
05/19/2010
If you have to hand-pull the stuff, there are products available at the pharmacy that you can apply to your skin before working around poison ivy that will supposedly block the oils from bonding with your skin. I'd use that, then dress to cover as much skin as possible, including gloves. Loosen plants with long-handled garden tools. Take a stash of grocery store plastic shopping bags, stick your hand in one, and fold it back up your arm. Grab the plant, and fold the bag down over it. Stick in trash. Repeat as needed.
When finished, remove all clothing, toss in washer (shoes too), and shower ASAP in lukewarm water. Lots of water is more important than soap! You may find special washes at the pharmacy, but if you were careful with the plastic bags, you hopefully won't need them.
How can I kill Poison Ivy?
Hardiness Zone: 5a
By dockside001 from Kalamazoo, MI
By foxrun41
06/29/2009
You could buy chemcials at a garden store or big box store. You could also dig up the plants. What ever method you use wear gloves and do not burn the poison ivy. Onct the leaves are broken they emit the chemical that will cause a rash. Burning the leaves put this chemical in the air that can be ingested into your air ways.Some options to consider to get rid of poison ivy include.
Call a professional landscaper to remove the poison ivy plants, especially if you have a lot of poison ivy in your yard.
Spray the poison ivy plants with an herbicide, such as Roundup or Ortho Poison Ivy Killer, keeping in mind that they can also kill surrounding plants too.
Manually remove the poison ivy plants, including the roots.
Repeat spraying or manually removing the poison ivy plants as they grow back.
If removing the poison ivy plants on your own, be sure to wear protection and keep in mind that Urushiol can remain on your clothing and gloves, etc., causing a rash if you later touch them.
Also, be sure to properly dispose of the poison ivy plants, since even a dead poison ivy plant can trigger a reaction, and never burn a poison ivy plant, as that can trigger a deadly reaction to anyone who is exposed to the smoke.
I have some poison ivy growing around my grapevines. I need to kill it, but am afraid to use anything that might leach into my grapes. Does anyone have a solution? Right now, I'm pretty much covered with the rash around my neck, face and arms.
By Lorraine from Bristol, CT
Does anyone know how to totally kill poison ivy, oak, etc. without herbicides? I have pulled it over and over and ended up in the ER. I cannot use the herbicides due to my liver, but must get rid of these plants.
By Tina B.
By Mirabella
08/20/2012
I'm very allergic and have also had problems in the past. A garden friend taught me to take a plastic grocery bag, and pull the plant out using the bag as a glove. I then turn the bag inside out with the poison ivy, root and all, inside. Tie it shut and put it in the trash. It works best when the plant is still fairly small but you could just use a bigger bag if it's larger.
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Q: I can get rid of the trouble if I get in contact with it. Scrub with a rich lather of homemade lye soap and I can handle the stuff with my bear hands but how do I eradicate it all together?
Thanks in advance.
A: Wright6421, There are a few strategies for getting rid of Poison Ivy completely, namely hand-pulling (wear gloves, long-sleeves and long pants) or digging out the roots (get the entire root or risk re-sprouting). The chemical irritant in Poison Ivy and Poison Oak that causes a skin reaction is present in all parts of the plant (even the roots!), so be careful to avoid all direct contact. This is true even after killing them and for years afterward, so be careful when removing dead roots and stems. And don't burn the stems, as inhaling the fumes can pose serious health risks. You can also try cutting stems to the ground and spraying the stubs with glyphosate (Roundup brand) or triclopyr (Ortho's Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak & Brush Killer). If you have ornamentals growing among your Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, paint the herbicides on the leaves instead of spraying. It may take one or more attempts of any combination of these strategies to eliminate the plants for good. | |
| More Answers: | |
| RE: Help Getting Rid of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak | 06/08/2004 |
| http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM773.pdf
Or check with your local extension office, they are affiliated with your state college(s). Most states have one in every county. If you are going to pull it out by the roots, wet the ground first to soften it and remember, you are working with vines. Wear protective clothing: long pants, long sleeved shirt and gloves. Use duct tape to tape your pant legs closed and tape the gloves to your sleeves. If you use an herbicide, use it in the spring while the plants are actively growing. | |
| By Patticat | |
| RE: Help Getting Rid of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak | 06/08/2004 |
| Check with a local garden shop. There is a product on the market which you spray on and it will kill the plants. I can't remember the name offhand. | |
| By Toni K. (Guest Post) | |
| RE: Help Getting Rid of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak | 06/08/2004 |
| Another hint - poisen ivy will not harm you if you wash with just plain soap and water within 15 minutes of being in contact with the plants! | |
| By Toni K. (Guest Post) | |
| RE: Help Getting Rid of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak | 06/14/2004 |
| Goats & Deer love the stuff, however getting rid of goats and deer sometimes pose more difficult problems. I spray it with strong Vinegar which kills anything it touches and is very cheap and safe for humans. ALSO, apply vinegar to any mosquito or deer fly bites for instant relief. It's always in my backpack. | |
| By Dr. Jose (Guest Post) | |
| RE: Help Getting Rid of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak | 07/14/2004 |
| When getting in contact with poison ivy or poison oak, use calamine lotion. This stops the itching. It comes in both pink lotion or clear.
If you're wanting to know how to get rid of the plants, just pour kerosene on it, this will kill the plants. | |
| By badwater | |
Hardiness Zone: 6b
Woofey from Southern, MA
The best way to eradicate poison ivy from such a big area is probably by repeated mowing or grazing the areas heavily for several years (sheep and goats apparently show no ill effects when eating it). Repeatedly taking poison ivy down to soil level will eventually cause the roots to die out. Unfortunately, this does nothing to spare your hay. Even when using chemicals like Brush-B-Gone, which is non-selective and also very toxic, poison ivy is difficult to get rid of in small areas. The size of your field makes eliminating it all the more challenging. Some sources recommend repeated mowing followed by plowing it under to control it in large agricultural areas. Not knowing your situation (whether you need to use the hay for your own livestock or you sell it to others as a cash crop, etc.), I don't know if this is even an option for you. You could try checking with your county extension agency http://www.umassextension.org/index.html or the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources http://www.mass.gov/agr/. Their sites may also offer you links to helpful information.
Good luck!
Ellen Brown
http://www.sustainable-media.com
More Answers:
By Rich Binell
I have so much poison ivy growing all throughout my trees and bushes. I tried to get rid of them by pouring vinegar but it didn't work. I have a dog so I don't want to use any harmful chemicals. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get rid of them?
Kayla from NJ
By rae ann
By Lily 59
By Rasta
By Rasta
Soap has been used for centuries as an all-purpose herbicide.
Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food stores have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Soaps.
Soap Spray:
Combine ingredients in a bucket, mix, then transfer to a spray bottle as needed. Note that this recipe will kill neighboring vegetation also, so focus the spray on the poison ivy.
Here is another alternative solution to herbicides: Goats! For some reason, Spanish and Angora goat breeds absolutely love poison ivy. Make sure you get those particular breeds; most others don't like poison ivy for their main meal. I would love to have goats, but my family won't let me.
Here is the homemade poison ivy vegetation killer spray that I've found is safe and effective if you are reading this when the leaves are no longer shiny:
Poison Ivy Vegetation Killer:
Combine the salt and vinegar in a pan and heat to dissolve the salt. Cool the vinegar, add the detergent, and pour some of the liquid into a large spray bottle. Spray the vegetation. (You can also just pour the mixture onto the weeds.) Refill the spray bottle as necessary. Note that this formula will kill all the vegetation, so make sure that you are only spraying the plants you want to kill. If you need to use a lot of this spray, avoid spraying it near wells, as the salt can leach into your water supply. (04/21/2007)
By Mythi
By Mythi
By badwater
By Muligant
By geO
I found a very inexpensive way to kill poison ivy in my yard. Spray the area with a mixture of 2 gallons soapy water and 3 lbs. of salt. The already mixed solutions at the garden store are very costly. It only takes a few minutes to mix up your own.
By Bobbie
By Steve
How do you get rid of poison ivy plants?
Hardiness Zone: 7a
By maere6836 from NJ
By Mirage
By merlene
How do I kill poison ivy? It has grown excessively this spring. Thanks.
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Getting Rid of Poison Ivy