Ivy, Oak, Sumac.......how did you get rid of it?

Post your poison stories here!

Do you mean how do you remove it from your property or how do you deal with the rash that you get from touching it?

Removal from your property.

i thought you were talking about the band. a crime against music, that bunch.

I use to have major issues with poison ivy all over my property but the ex actually did something good once........wearing layers of long sleeves and gloves, he pulled and dug out the roots of the plants and then discarded them........it never grew back and he didn't get any reaction to it either........remember to wash those clothes and gloves seperate from other clothing and I put bleach in the water. Then ran the washer empty and bleached the crap out of the washing machine as well

I got as much of it as I could this AM with hand held trimmers and pulling it off (shed and tree). Tomorrow morning I thought I would spray something on the roots. I've heard spray a little gas on them or a weed killer in concentrate. I just want to be sure the stuff dies!! It's amazing how it creeps into crevices.

just remember weed killer and gasoline will kill the grass as well

Yep, true. I'm not real sure it's good for the wood on the shed either. I need to do something there though badly, as the vines are huge and thick.

Try exposing the roots and then pouring a ton of salt on them. I did that with some elms that I couldn't get rid of and they never came back.

Thank you!

Poison ivy can get so big it can look like a large bush if it grew around a dead trunk. It can get white berries too. You have to try and get the roots. Beware if you burn it. If you are allergic-you can get it through breathing the smoke from the fire. I speak from experience.

My first response...HIRE SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT!

My last episode with this was when I was pregnant with my son and couldn't take anything to help the rash - it was HORRIBLE! I'd cleared vine that didn't look ANYTHING like what you are taught to watch for. Surprise! It turns out there are many, many varieties of poison stuff, some of which are not so easily identifiable.

(Happy to now live in an arid climate where there is less concern of that...I can identify rattlesnakes and scorpions!)

That said, my last response is also...HIRE SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT!

haha.........hiring is not an option this month!

I'm actually ok with doing it, I just want to make sure I kill the darn roots.

And whomever designed those darn pinwheels ought to be shot (god.....teehee). Those things land and before you know it you have trees sprouting up in places you didn't wish them to. I'm still working on getting the sproutlets up out of my bushes and around the decks.

Anyhow, back to the poison......so far I've heard salt as a killer.

Ortho does make somethng you can spray on.......dress well and shower after......You can buy it at any hardware store.

Found this:

"Poison Ivy killer spray

Got a yard full of itchy-scratchy poison ivy that's driving you and your family crazy? Today, you'll learn how to make a killer spray that'll knock poison ivy dead. From deep within the Carey Brothers' vault of somewhat-deadly remedies (toxic only to pesky foliage), we bring the solution. To whip up a batch of our special homemade poison-ivy-killer spray, which is very safe and highly effective, mix 1 cup of table salt in 1 gallon of cheap white vinegar and heat it until the salt fully dissolves. Once it cools, add in 8 drops of liquid dish detergent and then spray or pour it on; soon the pesky plants will wilt away. However, do be careful, as it'll kill any other plants it comes in contact with, too. Also if you have a well, use the solution sparingly, or find another alternative. Too much of this spray can leach into your water supply. And that's the On The House Tip for today."

Goes along with what lilott said and is easy enough!

Napalm. Tide powder and gasoline. Kills everything.

A friend did say to spray on gasoline to the leaves and roots. So you add tide powder to it? Or are you joking?

One organic method used to get rid of poison ivy is to pull it out by the roots. The roots must be disposed of; do not burn! Inhaling fumes from burning poison ivy causes far greater health problems than just the rash caused by skin contact. Another natural method is to get rid of poison ivy by smothering it. Smothering entails cutting it back close to the ground, then placing newspapers, cardboard, old carpeting, tarps, mulch or some other covering on top of it. However, be aware that, even after you kill poison ivy plants, they remain toxic. So be careful in disposing of the roots of the dead vines after pulling back the smothering agent (even if you've waited for years).

Herbicides can also be used to get rid of poison ivy. Roundup spray is a popular glyphosate-based herbicide used to get rid of poison ivy. Another widely-available herbicide is Ortho Brush-B-Gon, which is triclopyr-based. These products will kill a great variety of woody plants, making them effective not only in getting rid of poison ivy, but also another nuisance vine: oriental bittersweet. But they will kill many other plants, too, so don't use them near specimens you wish to keep. If you choose to apply these herbicides by spraying, here's what to do:

* You'll need a tank sprayer; mix the product with water, according to directions.
* Apply when the poison ivy is fully leafed out.
* Pick a day with little or no wind for spraying. Also, check your forecast: don't spray if rain is predicted at any time within the next 24 hours.
* For poison ivy plant growing on the ground or on a wall, heavily spray the leaves and vines. Older poison ivy has large hairy vines -- another dead giveaway for identifying them.
* For poison ivy climbing up a tree, you may wish to "paint" the herbicide on, so as to preclude damaging the tree with a stray mist from your sprayer.

Myself I stay as far away from the stuff as I can due to I'm highly allergic to the stuff and it ain't pretty when I get near it.

I haven't as of yet gotten the rash from it. I guess I will know in a couple days if I escaped it again...... I did wear long pants and gloves.