Poison Ivy War

[Bear55]

I bought a new home out of town last summer, I must have gotten lucky last year because I never got poison ivy. Anyway I got it pretty bad earlier this year and discovered my yard is absolutely covered up in the stuff. I'm not talking hundred of plants, more like thousands and potentially 10's of thousands in the area. I've been spraying a few hundred plants a weekend with roundup but I am starting to think this is a war I can't win. Even if I get every plant on my lot (2.5 acres) there are so many other plants in the area I just think they will keep spreading. Even if I spray one area well and everything died they are popping up a few feet away the next week.

So any experts out there have any advice? Right now my best plan of action is to pray the plants popping up on the edges of the yard and keep the kids out of the grass/woods/brush at all cost. Thanks for any help.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Any good broadleaf herbicide will take care of that for you.

If you don't have an ATV to put a 25 gallon +/- on the back, or tow a sprayer behind a garden tractor, you can get a backpack sprayer and blanket apply the whole area.

If it were me, I'd hire a professional (not necessarily a large national "Green" company) but someone local and have them just do a blanket app for the broadleaf weeds.

Once you get poison ivy, it'll be easier to get.

I've had it so many times that if I see a picture of it online or TV, I start to itch.

If you DO decide to do the spraying yourself, make sure you wear boots, socks, long pants, and you may even decide to use rubber boots or put baggies over your pant legs to reduce the contact of any oils left on your clothing.

[solbes]

Yup, we have some small patches at our place and I'm pretty diligent about spraying with R.U. I'm winning the war in small spaces, so I would think you will eventually too. I would tackle a manageable section at a time, maybe 1/4? Go through a couple of times to make sure it's erradicated.

Couple of other things. I agree with Lawnman, after you've been exposed it becomes easier to get the rash. Remember that oil can remain on clothing for up to a year. Dried plants in the spring from last year are still very dangerous. They sell a lotion called Ivyblock that can be used when you know you may have contact with the stuff. Also fels naptha soap will remove the oil from your skin in the shower.

The worst case scenario is that the oil gets on some area that you touch on a periodic basis. I got into some about a month ago and the oil was on the window sill of my truck. I kept getting it on my left forearm and couldn't figure out where I was getting it from. Finally figured it out after 2 unpleasant weeks.

[Bear55]

Thanks for the info guys. Just one question what other plants would a broadleaf herbicide kill. The ivy is pretty much entangled in many young and and growing trees and bushes that I don't want harmed. LwnmwnMan2 you mentioned only broadleaf weeds but I just wanted to be sure I don't kill everything.

[Gordie]

I had a simalar problem when I moved into my place and I used brush be gone it worked awsome and havent really had an issue with for the past 10 years now I just got to get rid of the creeping charlie

[LwnmwnMan2]

A broadleaf herbicide will affect the trees and bushes just as your round up will.

However, the broadleaf herbicide will NOT affect any grass that's growing.

I would bet that if you checked around, an application by a licensed professional would cost about $200 for 2.5 acres.

This way its all done at one time, and you won't have plants creeping back and forth from areas you already sprayed.

It's relaitively simple job for someone that is set up with the right gear.

You're not going to be able to get rid of it in brushy areas, it'll be impossible.

Get rid of it in your yard / turf area, and keep the kids 10' away.

When I was younger, I could roll naked through the woods and never get it, then one year when I was about 20, I got it.

Each year I'll break out 2-3 times and can get rid of it fairly quickly, although last year I had it on the insides of my thighs (don't know how it got there ) and had to go to the urgent care to get a prescription.

They essentially give you a prescription for a type of steroid (can't think of the name right now) and it's gone in about 3 days.

For those 3 days though I could barely walk.

[Steve Foss]

I agree it's better in this case to hire a pro. If you can get it done for $200, that's probably not much more than you'd spend for the chemical if you did it yourself, and you'll know it's been done as well as it can be done.

Also, having fought my own P.I. wars for many years, don't be surprised if you have to have it done professionally one more time next year. It's a stubborn plant.

Once it's eradicated, you should be able to just zap it one plant at a time each year with an over-the-counter Roundup spray bottle. If you have more P.I. nearby on property you don't control, the birds and mice will move the seeds around and you'll get new plants now and then. We have neighbors on both sides of our lake cabin who don't control their P.I., so I always have a few new plants to hit each June.

Susceptibility to the oil in P.I. builds with each contact. Last time I had it (6-inch-long patch on inside of my forearm), I broke out in hives over my whole body and my skin felt like it was burning for 24 hours. That kind of systemic reaction scared the bejeezus out of me, and I have become super careful to always look around for P.I. Haven't gotten any since that time 15 years ago.

You can wash with strong soap and water (shower is great) within half an hour to an hour after exposure and the oil will not have bonded to your skin yet. After that, it's too late. And be careful about what your dogs get into. A dog chasing a ball into a patch of P.I. will happily transfer the oils to his owner's legs, arms, hands, etc.

[fishermatt]

About 10 years ago I bought a lake lot that was out of control with P Ivy, so I've had my share of experiences with it. Don't be surprised if the P Ivy comes back after the first application or 2. I have some in one of my RR Bean plots that has been sprayed twice this summer with Roundup and there are still new plants coming up. I've had the best results in the fall when the leaves start to turn (mid september), and in the spring when it's first coming up and the leaves are small. When the plants are actively growing in the middle of summer I don't think the roots get completely killed off. Also note that every part of the P Ivy plant has the Oil on it. I have gotten it from planting trees in March from the roots in the soil where I was digging holes for my trees. Once you know what P Ivy looks like, you'll realize there's a LOT of it around.

[Bear55]

Also note that every part of the P Ivy plant has the Oil on it. I have gotten it from planting trees in March from the roots in the soil where I was digging holes for my trees. Once you know what P Ivy looks like, you'll realize there's a LOT of it around.

That is funny because that is exactly how it got it this spring. It took me a while to figure out what the heck was going on because hardly anything was green at the time.

Also a similar experience with Roundup, sometimes they die, sometimes they live but they just about always grow back in the same location or not far away.

[LwnmwnMan2]

The problem with using roundup on it, is round up kills the green part of the plant, which then starves the roots from nutrients.

This is why you can spray round up on runners of bushes, and you can kill the runners, but the bush remains, hence the return of the poison ivy after spraying with round up. The roots are strong and remain, sprouting new plants even though it looks like the plant has been killed.

You need something that's going to kill the roots as well.

[Bear55]

I've given some thought to hiring a pro but I just think there would be too much collateral damage. I don't really care about the grass/other weeds but there are a bunch of young trees coming up and a couple hundred more that I planted this spring that I want to save. It looks like me and the roundup bottle will be good friends for the next few years.

[JeffB]

Brush-B-Gone works good, some of the broadleaf chemicals will burn it down and not kill the roots, so it seems like you've killed it and a new plant emerges, but really you just didn't kill the root. If you want a chemical that will leave the grass but kill the poison ivy and other broad leaf weeds I would go to an agronomy service to buy the chemical there are many out there that are better than the 2-4 D you will buy at the hardware store.

[LwnmwnMan2]

A couple of questions for you Bear.

You say this area is 2.5 acres, is that true?

You also say you have several young trees, plus a bunch more you've planted. Is all this on the same 2.5 acres?

Or is it just the 2.5 acres the grass / yard area, and then the trees are spread out throughout a bigger patch of land.

[Bear55]

LwnmwnMan2

Yes everything is on the 2.5 acres, about half is mowed and not much of a problem except for some ivey that sprouts up near some trees I cut around. Everything else is thick with ivy. Think if a large U shape of trees with the house in the middle. A small chunk of woods on one side and two thin strips of woods/brush on two sides. From what I understand poison ivy likes to grow on the edges and I have all kinds of edges on my lot. I planted trees just about everywhere on the 2.5 acres excluding most of the mowed area. The U shape is a mix of mature trees, brush, grass and young trees. Everything else that is open is grass mixed with young trees and trees I had planted this spring and the summer before.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Okay, now I understand.

Here are the last two thoughts / suggestions that I've got for you.

Bail on the round-up, you're more or less going to be pounding your head against the wall, pretty much wasting time and money, since you're not getting to the "root" of the problem.

Head to a local feed mill / farm supply and look at the chemicals they have.

On the front of the labels, they'll list the percentage of A.I. (active ingredient) and purchase accordingly.

It's like buying groceries. Do you want to buy the 6 oz package for $1, or the $12 oz package for $1.50.

The percentage of A.I. I have in my glyphosate product is 41%. Most of the products I see at the big box stores / hardware stores is around 1-2%.

As far as killing it in the "brush" areas, you're never going to do it. It's impossible unless you were to do a burn in the fall or early spring, and then keep on top of the issues.

A pro could come in and take care of it if they have a tank sprayer, pulling a hose like what most people have in their cartoon bubble if they were asked what Chem-Lawn does.

A tank sprayer / hose combo would allow the operator to come in and spray quite low, essentially getting the leaves of the low plants (poison ivy, weeds) while staying under the leaves of trees and larger bushes.

Yes, there'd be a chance that you're going to lose 1-3-4 trees, but the P.I. would be gone and you would spend less time replanting the small handful of trees rather than fighting off handcramps.

If you DO do it yourself, get a backpack sprayer and mix the concentrate yourself. You're going to get better results than buying already mixed, watered down product.

If you have any questions if you go this route, I'll gladly help in any way I can.

[Bear55]

Thanks again, I actually have been buying the concentrate mix but I think its probably time to mix something with a little more power.

[Jameson]

Might want to try mixing Gly (round-up) and 24,d. Both are now fairly cheap.

I would carefully mow as much as you can, than keep on top of it with spot spraying. It may be a battle for years. Find some sort of cheap seed mix you can throw down in the killed off spots to help out-compete the ivy. Maybe a clover/grass mix.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Might want to try mixing Gly (round-up) and 24,d. Both are now fairly cheap.

I would carefully mow as much as you can, than keep on top of it with spot spraying. It may be a battle for years. Find some sort of cheap seed mix you can throw down in the killed off spots to help out-compete the ivy. Maybe a clover/grass mix.

I forgot this in my previously "last thoughts" on this topic.

Another reason to bail on the roundup and go with a broadleaf type mix is that, eventhough you're not concerned about other weeds and grasses, that if you use a broadleaf herbicide instead of the roundup, you can keep the grasses in place, which will help choke out the P.I. and other weeds.

If you keep using round up, you kill the topgrowth of everything, which allows the P.I. an easier chance to creep back into the bare ground.

[Steve Foss]

The problem with using roundup on it, is round up kills the green part of the plant, which then starves the roots from nutrients.

This is why you can spray round up on runners of bushes, and you can kill the runners, but the bush remains, hence the return of the poison ivy after spraying with round up. The roots are strong and remain, sprouting new plants even though it looks like the plant has been killed.

You need something that's going to kill the roots as well.

Yep. I misspoke on the Roundup. I've been using broadleaf herbicides in my own P.I. war. Thanks for correcting that.

[fishermatt]

I have had more success with 2,4 D in actually getting rid of P Ivy than Roundup. It would be worth your while to at least try a 2,4D product. I get mine at the local crop production services store. To spray around your new trees, keep the spray low to the ground, Stay 6 inches away from them and go around, and you can then cover the area in between and on the sides of the trees too. If a little touches a branch or leaves, rinse off ASAP and you should be fine. I have burnt off a few leaves before but the tree is Ok.

Best of luck with the lovely P Ivy! ; - (

[deerminator]

Lots of great advice. The one big thing I'd say you need to remember is the oil factor. The oil remains long after the plant is dead so the only fool proof way to prevent getting PI is to remove the entire plant once dead. My wife got into a patch last year by our lake front and looked like she had been in a prize fight by the next day. Both eyes were nearly swollen shut and she had to use some souped up prescription strength hydrocortizone all over to cope. This year, I finally got rid of most of it by our stairs down to the lake. I did as Lwnmwnman said, covering from head to toe. Then I pulled, dug and chopped everything I could, filling garbage bags and spraying whatever stubble I just couldn't get out of the ground. A week later I put fabric over everthing and planted dozens of big perennials of all sorts and filled it in with wood chips. But even weeks later, some PI is popping up. I'm sure it will take a few more years to eraidcate it. Good luck!

[deerminator]

P.S. Wear old clothes and just throw them out when you're done. Unless you're clearing the PI often, it's just worth it to toss the ratty old jeans and shirts versus washing them numerous times and risking it.

[JeffB]

Another thing to remember for those that have poison ivy problems is just because your careful not to touch it your dogs aren't. If my lab has been running through the stuff I try to get him in swimming a bit before he gets much attention.

[Red Cabin]

That's a good one! I would'nt have thought of the dog spreading PI

[solbes]

Good point! I just gave our dog a bath because she bolted through a thick patch while we were rounding a corner when I was on rollerblades.

Not sure a rinse in the lake or river will help though? That oil is pretty tenacious.