there are exceptions to all rules. PI dies with minimal amounts of roundup. the secret is in applying RU with a small paintbrush on the leaves, undiluted, so that no other plant is affected. one or two leaves, touched with the brush, and the plant dies. As Kim says, there are giant roots under there, and PI will not get smothered. Look around for the larger vines climbing trees, they are particularly visible in Fall, when they are red against a bare trunk, and cut them at the base to eliminate the seed supply. They will produce a million small plants from the roots, and those you can paint next year to completely eliminate it.

Oooh so sorry!!!!! Awful stuff. To ID later... Spray paint pink after the herbicide dries? Take pics? Put a little sign for yourself back there, to remind? Have someone else do it? Pull sprouts more often? Not everything in nature makes sense, but this cruel trick of still poisonous dead leaves and vines is especially perplexing to me. The only acceptable disposal for me, this yard, is plastic bag sent to landfill. We recycle and compost, but that's not an option for something that has the potential to make me so sick for an unknown amount of time past its' death. Do not burn, urishiol can become airborne this way.

PT, When I lived in Minnesota we had Poison Ivy that grew in sunny areas as well as more shaded sites. (I discovered this when I was 3 yrs old; my friend and I took off our shirts and rolled down a grassy hill interspersed with PI)... Regards, Mike

Hi there hhanse. I know exactly how you feel as I am also in Illinois and bought a home last year that has several large gardens overtaken by bindweed. Preen will work against the seeds of the bindweed but not the established plant, which is perennial here. As you have probably gathered by your reading that this weed is nearly impossible to get rid of. There are some ideas in the bindweed thread here that I am linking to. I had a large corner garden (about 700 sq feet) that I pulled out a few precious plants from. These plants had all the dirt removed from their roots/rhizomes so I could remove any trace of the bindweed root system. I weed whacked the rest and have put several layers of black plastic over it. From what I've read, the bindweed will have to be deprived of light for several years (man, this stuff is tough!) before it will die. In other parts of my garden which are closer and easier for me to scout daily, I am snipping off the bindweed vines at ground level. No idea if this will be effective but I have heard it will eventually exahust the weed of its energy stores and kill it. I think some chemicals have had moderate success, but I haven't resorted to that yet. Good luck and please post on your progress! Here is a link that might be useful: Bindweed thread