GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

20-08-2003, 03:32 PM

In article , says...
I have searched the internet and I cannot figure out how to successfully
get rid of poison ivy from my yard. We live in a wooded area and are
just trying to beat the poison ivy back out of the gardens and out of the
lawn on the edges of the woods. I normally don't like to use chemicals,
but after a few nasty cases of blistering skin, I ran to get some Round
Up. That is very expensive and doesn't seem to work that great. I have
also covered up with latex and pulled out scads of vines, bagged them and
thrown them in the garbage, but that is a hazardous endeavor. Are there
any home remedies that people have used that work?

If used as directed, RoundUp is very effective at killing PI. I've used it
on a number of PI infestations with great success.

The first step in erradicating PI in your landscape is to hunt it all down.
Once you know where it is, you've won half the battle. It's especially fond
of treelines -- primarily the trees themselves, as in vertical growth -- and
it likes fences as well.

For small plants it is typically easiest to pull it out, roots and all.
Wear protective clothing and gloves of course -- I'd just pitch the gloves
afterwards as that oil is rather persistent.

For larger plants, such as the vines going up trees, it will take a bit more
work. First thing's first, cut it down -- not all the way to the ground
mind you, but at least low enough to make it manageable. If it has grown up
a tree then cut the vine at around waist height. Next, apply RoundUp to any
and all leaves PLUS use a brush (small paintbrush will typically do) or
sponge to apply it to any exposed stems or vines such as the one you cut on
the tree. After a week, I hit it again just to be sure. RoundUp takes a
good 2-3 weeks to get a solid kill.

FWIW, I have also found that urine does wonders against it. I've caught
some hell from others on the newsgroup for recommending this but hey -- it
works. My dogs urinate along the fenceline all the time and guess what?
You got it -- the PI has never come back and that's in spite of all the
birds in our yard and the fact that it owned that chain link fence for quite
a while.

Take it for what it's worth.

I've started testing Brush B Gon for non-specific herbicidal uses as well --
thus far I am impressed. If memory serves, this contains Garlon and thus
far it is the ONLY thing I've used that has had an impact on Ailanthus
Altissima (Tree of Heaven; sanctioned in hell mind you) -- RoundUp knocks it
down but it always gets back up before the tenth count on the mat.

Naturally, all warnings apply here -- kids and animals away while working;
protective clothing, gloves, and mask; NEVER burn PI; dispose of in the
trash, not the compost heap, and so forth.

Hope you find this of use!

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I guess the problem with the roundup
is that we have so much poison ivy that we never seem to get it all, and
we don't want to kill all the other plants next to it. Although on
isolated patches of PI that i have killed with roundup, new PI plants
sprouted back up in a month or so. I have never heard of this brush
killer so I will look into that. Thanks again!

-kim