Poison Ivy Plant

[rsingh6675]

What can kill Poison Ivy Plants?

 

[Bimmerbill]

Whatever you do, don't burn it!
Roundup works for me.

 

[RunningBum]

Whatever you do, don't burn it!
Roundup works for me.

Ditto on both. A friend was just telling me a bad story about a guy he knew who burned it.

 

[thefed]

roundup doesnt work so well...total vegetation killer of some sort...brush killer....they do market roundup made for poison ivy that works much quicker and better

 

[jazz4cash]

roundup doesnt work so well...total vegetation killer of some sort...brush killer....they do market roundup made for poison ivy that works much quicker and better

Roundup seems to work fine for me. They have several versions and I believe one is called Poison Ivy Killer, but they all seem to be the same stuff with different concentrations of the active ingredient, glysophosate (I think). I just use the Wal-mart brand in concentrated form which is 41% active ingredient. I use it full strength if necessary. You may need to brush it onto the leaves or better yet cut the stems and brush it on with a paint brush. Be patient as it can take up to 4 weeks to completely kill tough vegetation, and plan to re-apply every 3-4 weeks to achieve control. BTW I don't think anyone stated the reason for not burning is that the fumes are noxious.

 

[freebird5825]

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-218.pdf

Leaves of 3, Let it be...

 

[Martha]

We used to live where there was lots of poison ivy "out back." My niece used to call it poison ivory. Anyway, my spouse had no allergy whatsoever to it and could pull it out by hand. I waited for the day when he would be sensitive but it never arrived.

 

[Bimmerbill]

Geez, I'm the total opposite. I walk by it and get it!

 

[Brat]

We have poison oak in our area. There is only one soap that cleans clothing of it's residue. I grate the soap into hot water then wash the clothes in hot water.

 

[Amethyst]

I'm very allergic to P.I. and learned early to identify it in all its life stages. My mother was hospitalized from breathing poison ivy smoke (backyard brush fire). It can harm the lining of the lungs.

My husband thought he was immune to poison ivy (about 30% of people are) but learned otherwise when we moved to our 3-acre lot, and started clearing brush to plant grass and trees. The edges of the lot were a network of woody poison ivy vines that were probably older than I was, and he got a nasty rash that sent him to the doctor.

In response, he declared war on P.I., literally. He put on his Vietnam clothes (he had once been a civilian adviser to the South Vietnamese, and still had his tropical fatigues, hat and boots...unfortunately, he didn't have any Agent Orange, although we wished for it) and attacked the poison ivy on a 90-degree day with full-strength Brush-Be-Gon in a metal pump sprayer. A couple weeks later, he went out jungle-fighting again, and the following summer he made another foray that finally did the job. Still, P.I. is constantly springing up everywhere so we have to be vigilant about pulling it out.

Poison ivy is a woody vine that often gets its start from birds dropping seeds. In our area, it does not break dormancy till early to mid-May, long after everything else is green and growing. So, it can fool you into touching the stems since you can't see any leaves.

You can kill the baby plants with "regular" Round-up (diluted glyphosate). Once the plants develop woody stems, you are going to need heavy-duty chemical. As others stated, be very thorough, persistent (>1 application) and patient. Remember, you can kill what's on top, but a network of roots will remain so you may have to come back next year and keep killing the tops till the roots finally give up. Apply the chemicals in the hottest weather for fastest, best effect. And do not touch the dead stuff with bare hands; it's still full of urushiol, the itch-causing chemical.

Good luck!

 

[calmloki]

We have poison oak in our area. There is only one soap that cleans clothing of it's residue. I grate the soap into hot water then wash the clothes in hot water.

Good ol' giant Fels Naptha bars?

 

[bbbamI]

I couldn't resist....

YouTube - The Coasters - Poison Ivy (Doo Wop 50)

 

[Brat]

Good ol' giant Fels Naptha bars?

YES!! Whenever I see them on the grocer's shelf I buy one or two.