Getting RID of Poison Ivy
catherineOH
21 years ago
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Getting Rid of Poison Ivy
Comments (8)Would the roots eventually die if the plant above ground level is killed via chemicals (starve them)? I assume the roots also harbor the oils? If not, kill the plant with chemicals and then dig up the roots. If you properly suit up (including you face because the stuff can and will squirt and spray when yanked) you should be able to work on it yourself. If you are severely allergic or just too apprehensive about the idea, do you know anyone who is not allergic and willing to help you for the day? You can always call in a profe$$ional. A landscaper should be able to tackle this for you. It sounds to me like you may have a bigger issue than the Poison Ivy...your neighbor. Hopefully, if he has half a brain, he'll provide access to his yard for complete removal because it'll benefit him. Whatever you do DO NOT BURN POISON IVY. The smoke is just as bad as the oil and you can inhale it which will make it worse....See MoreGetting rid of Poison Ivy without killing trees/plants???
Comments (51)nywoodsman's worldview is such because he has never experienced poison ivy like the rest of us! My wife and I are very allergic to p.I. But she is more allergic than I. We went to Disney World one year and they wouldn't let us in to a tour group because they thought she had a highly contagious skin disease (like eczema) on her face!! We had an abundance of it growing in a shrub we wanted to keep. I trimmed the shrub but avoided p.I. like the plague!! But it got so bad growing out of control each year that this year I had to do something. I obtained SYRVET's OB Veterinary Gloves which go all the way up to the shoulders (you can get them on Amazon). I had my wife tape them to my shoulders--however, you have to tape them across the back of the shirt, from top of glove to top of glove because the sweat will cause the tape to come loose and the glove will descend down to near the wrists. Not good!! After I finished working, I had my wife carefully pull the long gloves inside-out and we placed them in a plastic bag for disposal. She had to wash right away but did not get any rash. Once the gloves were off and disposed of, I immediately used Technu on my hands and wrists by rubbing them for several minutes. Then I used a liquid soap on that and washed my hands and wrists off. I followed that with a shower. Don't think that wearing an old pair of pants will protect you completely! Some of the urushiol oil penetrated the cloth and I got a rash on my thigh. I treated it with Technu soap regularly for several days. That did not get rid of the rash but it did lessen the severity of the itch. Some may be interested In knowing that Technu also makes something called "Tecnu Corticool" which is a hydrocortisone that gives you relief from the itch. But you will have to apply it again after awhile. This cream comes in a 1.5 oz tube and can also be gotten on Amazon. Hope this helps...See Morerestoring an ivy bed
Comments (2)Boy, I wish the deer found ivy (I assume you mean English ivy, Hedera helix) appealing here!! Ivy is a noxious weed in the PNW and is everywhere!! As many deer as there are in the area, I would have hoped they might put a dent in it but they don't seem to bother it at all. Probably too many other goodies for them to munch on :-) You could try Grass-B-Gone on the crabgrass. It is a weed killer that only targets grass-type plants and won't bother the ivy at all. And yes, the ivy should overwhelm just about everything else once it gets growing again. About the only thing that grows through an ivy bed here is horsetails and blackberries. Of the three, I'm not sure which is the worst :-)...See MoreCreating a lawn from a small wooded area - Atlanta, GA
Comments (3)As for the poison ivy, it depends on the size of the plants and the concentration of the plants. I had every thing from an old vine with the main stem about 3 inches in diameter, to young sprouts from seeds. For the vine with the 3" stem, I cut it off as high as I could reach ie well above the point that some one could accidentally touch it. For those small vines going up trees, I cut them and left them where they were. After a couple of years they rot, disappear, and are not a problem. PS; Hatchet for those small that I could reach with out becoming involved with, and an axe where I need to stay further away. For the small plants I use a chemical spray, and carefully applied it to the area if there were many plants, of individually where there was only one of two plants. After about 3 years, most of it was gone. If it is in the yard, the best thing to control it is a rotary lawn mower. Once cut off it does not seem to return. What ever you do do not burn it, as you will spread the poison oil every where and possibly on you and your face. Like many organic compounds the poison ivy oil will break down and not be a problem after several years....See Moresalvatore1970
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