Anonymous wrote:A weed torch does not “burn” poison ivy if used correctly. You hit it quick so the heat damages the cells in the leaves and starve the root system. You’d want to follow this up with tilling. Either/or can result in residual healthy plant structure that may resprout.

But, for what it’s worth, ag extensions all over the country do controlled burns on fields that contain poison ivy all the time. They wear protective equipment and stay upwind.

Yes, but ag extensions don’t regularly come on DCUM looking for suburban gardening advice.

A weed torch does not “burn” poison ivy if used correctly. You hit it quick so the heat damages the cells in the leaves and starve the root system. You’d want to follow this up with tilling. Either/or can result in residual healthy plant structure that may resprout.

But, for what it’s worth, ag extensions all over the country do controlled burns on fields that contain poison ivy all the time. They wear protective equipment and stay upwind.

Anonymous wrote:Round Up in undeniably a carcinogen. I would rather deal with poison ivy.

I’d be willing to bet half my 401K that the histamine reaction from exposure to an equal amount of poison ivy resin as compared to the same fluid volume of roundup sprayed on your body would kill you within hours. I think poison ivy is likely MUCH more dangerous.

Anonymous wrote:Round Up in undeniably a carcinogen. I would rather deal with poison ivy.

If you have residue of it on your unwashed hands and eat with your fingers a few times a day and inhale it in aerosolized form 8 hours a day for years on end, yes, it will cause cancer.

Not doing that?

You’ll be fine. Yiu won’t get cancer from roundup. But you’ll still die from something else and be just as dead though.

None of us are getting out of here alive. Accept that and make use of your time.

Anonymous wrote:Round Up in undeniably a carcinogen. I would rather deal with poison ivy.

Not a relevant exposure with 1 or 2 uses

Anonymous wrote:Round Up in undeniably a carcinogen. I would rather deal with poison ivy.

+1

Round Up in undeniably a carcinogen. I would rather deal with poison ivy.

On A really steep slope that no one goes on, maybe just leave it. It's a native plant good for wildlife. It may be holding your slope together and if you remove it you risk major erosion like a mini land slide.

If you do try to remove it, have something in place quickly to control erosion.

Goats aren’t going to kill the plants. They’ll just eat the foliage and it’ll come right back within a couple months.

You need to KILL the plant. Down to the root.


Spray it with an herbicide specifically labeled for tough brush/poison ivy. Regular RoundUp type herbicides likely won’t be enough it has to be poison ivy specific.



Stop with considering these silly half-measures like goats. That’s ridiculous. If you want to feed goats every few months, fine. If you want to eliminate poison ivy permanently, use the proper tool for the job - a specific chemical herbicide.

The thing that you have to accept is that you probably can't eradicate it in one fell swoop because (1) it's a native plant and happy in your environment and (2) if you clear it "imperfectly", you're just applying a temporary fix.

If you really want to eliminate, best time/tactic is likely to poison with glyphosate in late summer when the plant is sending energy to the roots for winter. But a random landscaping company will just clear what's in front of them at any given moment.

I don't like to use Round Up, but do use it on poison ivy because it kills it dead. I paint it on leaves and stems and running roots with a cheap little children's paint brush (with a small amount of round up in a disposable cup). Just a little goes a long way, but be careful not to get it on anything else you don't want killed. You may need to do a couple of applications. Cover all your skin and place a bandana over your hair if you have to wade into the stuff. Use disposable gloves. Wash your clothes afterwards in hot water. Don't cut the poison ivy because you can get the powder in your nose and mouth, and God help you if you do.

If you want to hire someone to do the deed, there are lucky souls out there who aren't allergic to poisosn ivy.

Anonymous wrote:Those who mentioned goat here - can you recommend a goat rental service? I called glorious goats and they're no longer in business

https://browsinggreengoats.com/contact-us/ but your job may be smaller than they want.

Anonymous wrote:PP with slope.

It is too steep for my over 60 year old self. I have slipped and rolled down lesser slopes in the garden over a retaining wall while doing yard work and fortunately suffered nothing worse than some bruises and shock that it happened.

This slope is steeper and common sense tells me I should not be traipsing on it and risking a broken hip or worse. But a younger person could do it without risking life and limb.

I have spent hours on my garden, digging holes in compacted clay soil and lugging bags of mulch. Honestly, I think at my age I have more than earned the right to not have to swath myself in hot protective gear and deal with chemicals instead of having someone else tackle a PI infested slope.

Plus, last time I got PI I had to miss work for two days because I felt so bad. Thank goodness for steroids!

If only one could find someone to do this....

If you have a local NextDoor or FB group, consider posting there. Be willing to provide the material needed (Tyvek, gloves, goggles, mask, herbicide). You might find an able bodied teen or someone that does small 'mow and blow' type jobs willing to take this on. Since this doesn't require any sort of special expertise, someone like that should be okay.

Just choose days when it will be hot, and with no rain forecast.

PP with slope.

It is too steep for my over 60 year old self. I have slipped and rolled down lesser slopes in the garden over a retaining wall while doing yard work and fortunately suffered nothing worse than some bruises and shock that it happened.

This slope is steeper and common sense tells me I should not be traipsing on it and risking a broken hip or worse. But a younger person could do it without risking life and limb.

I have spent hours on my garden, digging holes in compacted clay soil and lugging bags of mulch. Honestly, I think at my age I have more than earned the right to not have to swath myself in hot protective gear and deal with chemicals instead of having someone else tackle a PI infested slope.

Plus, last time I got PI I had to miss work for two days because I felt so bad. Thank goodness for steroids!

If only one could find someone to do this....

+1 on not burning PI! Very dangerous.

Spraying herbicides will still leave the dead foliage on your property. (Among other downsides.)

Ideally you could pay someone to pull it up while suited in the manner described by a PP. That way you can get the roots out and the plants off your property.

If the PI is in an area where you don't go, like that steep hill, maybe you can let it be.