Danny D. wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 12:52:43 -0500, Brooklyn1 wrote:

I'd not apply defolient with a pressure washer, that would be very
wasteful, most would end up on the ground... apply with a hand
operated squirt bottle to the cut stems only... I have a battery
operated spray bottle (two AA cells) that works very well,

This is very useful information, which, coupled with the suggestion by
others to spray in the first five minutes after cutting, is a good
one:two punch.

I had never realized there are battery-operated sprayers.

Mine is the classic hand pump operated as shown in this pictu
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/11945136.jpg

The great part about the idea of spraying after cutting as opposed to
spraying without cutting, is that the poison oak covers an area far
greater than can be covered with spray - but- cutting it - by
necessity - is such that the cut plants are ALWAYS within spraying
distance!

But, cut plants are not going to take in the spray. Most sprays enter through
the leaves during high growth periods. Spraying at other times will mostly just
waste the spray. The only part of the cuttings that will take in the spray is
the very end of the remaining live wood of the cut plant. Hand treating the
major plants right where they are cut coming out of the ground with a
concentrated solution would be the only effective way to kill the root masses.
Treat only the outside edge of the cut, near the bark. Otherwise, wait untill
the leaf growth is going crazy, then spray the leaves. (with RoundUp, anyway)


So, oddly, from a practical standpoint, hand spraying can't work
without cutting - yet - it works great if done within 5 minutes of
cutting.

OR, it won't work at all after cutting. Spraying the cut branches is useless.


One 'problem' I just found out about with cutting though is that the
urushiol in the roots and vines is ten to 100 times as potent as that
in the leaves, so, cutting is inherently more dangerous overall.

However, the other side of this 'problem', is that spraying leaves the
dead vines where they are, which is still a potent hazard for 5 years
(wet environment) to ten years (dry environment) as the soil bacteria
and elements break down the catechols in the sap.

How about spraying the cuttings with chlorine, alcohol solution as discussed for
skin treatment? Will that break it down? Time for a science experiment?

Or, run the cuttings through a chipper and bag them for disposal? Don't stand
too close.


It's very interesting to learn about thine enemy!

You could probably rent a trailer sprayer to zap them all during growth, for
$100 or so. Then go in and clean them out after they die. Do not cut them until
they are really dead, because that will stop more spray from getting to the
roots. You may have to spray more than once to kill it all.