How to Kill Poison Ivy: The Tools of War

I am fairly certain that most of us have either come in contact with poison ivy at some point in our lives or at least seen someone else who has come in contact with this lovely little plant. Most of us are not likely to soon forget our first encounter with this particular plant, as it does tend to leave a rather lasting impression. The amazing thing is that some of us seem to be much more tolerant than others but almost everyone reacts somehow to poison ivy even if it’s only to shudder at the thought. With what we know about poison ivy, I’m sure many of you who may have spotted it on your lawn or in your garden are wondering how on earth to get rid of this nuisance of a plant.

The thing to remember first and foremost when trying to rid your lawn or garden of this pesky nuisance is safety. Not only your own personal safety but that of your children and pets must be carefully guarded when attempting to rid your lawn of this plant. The sap from this plant is a very strong irritant it must be gotten rid of but at the same time you need to protect your own skin in the process. You should be sure to wear sturdy gloves when working with this material and long sleeved shirts as well as long pants and socks to prevent exposure or the risk of exposure for as much of your skin as possible.

You should also understand that this vine is not merely a bother but is also quite a resilient nuisance at that. The world could be annihilated by nuclear winter and there would probably be poison ivy growing happily along side the roaches that would be left behind—this plant does seem to be about that resilient. I say that to make the following point. It may take one or more try of each of the methods discussed below or a combination of methods in order to rid yourself of this pest once and for all.

The first method is to pull the plant out by the roots. You then need to tie it up in a plastic bag and dispose of it. Do not burn it or you could find yourself on the way to the hospital (as well as anyone else in the vicinity). You can also try smothering it by cutting the plant off as close to the ground as possible then covering the remaining ‘stub’ of the plant with some sort of material that will block out both sunlight and oxygen. This will work thought it will also kill other plant life that is covered in the process. You should keep in mind that this will make the roots easier to dislodge but they will still require caution when removing as they may still contain the poison (even after many years). Herbicides also make a great weapon for this particular war. Be careful in their use, as they will kill more than poison ivy.

Whatever weapon you decided to use for the war, when learning how to kill poison ivy you should also take steps to learn how to protect your family from exposure as well as how to treat the symptoms should the need arise.