The easiest way is to kill them with chemicals. Glyphosate (RoundUp) will do the trick. Paint it, undiluted, on the foliage, taking care to avoid neighbors, and in a couple of weeks the whole plant, including the taproot, will be dead and decomposing.

Without chemicals, you have to dig.

Do I need to do more than one application, or just 'get it good' the first time? I know we used the RU on p-ivy, and it probably should have had several applications, because it still comes back.

Ok...Donn is correct with the undiluted concentrate...but I would cut the plant at the ground and immediately apply (with a sponge brush) the chemical....the plant will continue to try to exchange fluids and suck that stuff right down...and death will be rather quick...

This is also less messy and you will use far less product....I use this method with small trees (Elms), but I use Tordon for those...

The Poison Ivy needs Brush Killer....Round Up will not be effective on that one....

RoundUp works on any ivy, poison or otherwise, but you have to modify your approach a bit. Most ivy has a waxy cuticle which prevents the chemical from reaching the leaf pores. You can defeat the cuticle two ways; by mixing some dish soap with the RoundUp and by using friction to apply the chemical. Wear a rubber-nubbed cotton glove over a surgical exam glove, and dip your fingers into the chemical, then rub it firmly into the leaves, one at a time. You don't have to get every leaf on the vine to kill the entire plant.

That sure sounds like a lot of work, Donn...

I like the "quick, easy and sure" method, myself... plus not having to get close to the plant is a definite bonus.

;o)

Oh ack!

It was said:
"Wear a rubber-nubbed cotton glove over a surgical exam glove, and dip your fingers into the chemical..."

Not safe, not safe, not safe!

Use an applicator made for the purpose.

Alternately use a paint brush (dedicated to the project and nothing else) with your hands protected with chemically resistant gloves.

Well, kids, 3 cheers for heavy downpours! As I was driving home from work, we had a mini-monsoon, and when I got home, everything was drenched, including that area! So I figured, what the heck, I'll give it a try.

I got in there, grabbed ahold of the suckers, gave a firm, slow yank, and out they came, with very little effort! Some of the tap-roots were about 18" long. The one that I had lobbed off the night before I shovel-dug, and it, too, came right out.

Easier than I thought! I'm sure I spilled many-a-seed while clipping the blooms off first (it's like a mini hay-field in that section right now- so overgrown), but those I'll just pull out if they germinate next season.

I also took out a 7-foot thistle (OUCH!) which I hemmed & hawed about because the BFs & HBs love it, but it was a terrible eyesore. There's another one on another side of the garden that I'll leave for them. I'm sure some bird must have 'donated' them to my garden at some point, cuz I didn't have any thistle seed in the cottage mix that created the QAL mess.
A fresh palate awaits me very soon!!!

A little off topic and late posting here, but what about getting rid of Pokeberries. They are growing up into my huge Juniper Evergreens.

I read that there rootball was extremely large and the tap root goes down many feet, and read that you have to get all of tap or it will grow back. Don't want to hurt my junipers, just want to get rid of all of the Pokeberry's and some other things that are taking over these trees, like Virginia Creeper, etc..

Thanks all :)

It's the same drill, lovefornature: cut them at the base and paint the remaining stems with brush-be-gone. The trick is to check back on a regular basis and re-paint anything that grows back while it's still small.