Need help with poison ivy

No, I don't want to grow it, I want to get rid of it. :) We have fought this for years in our yard, digging, pulling, Roundup, everything we can think of. I have never been susceptible to it, until last year... Oh, goodness! My hands, my face, my legs, I was miserable. So now, I'm almost scared to get near that area again. It is in a 50 foot bed of monkey grass that I like to plant tall annuals in.

Anyone have any suggestions? I have gone to almost space suit coverage to prevent getting it, but when its hot outside, whew! Merpeg

They spread thru runners and their root system is enormous. I think you have to put on a space suit and go at them at the beginning of their growing season (I did this wearing medical grade, disposable gloves). Pull everything you see and as much root as you can. Follow up with Roundup and continued space suit protected pulling.

I'm told you can also smother them in mulch, this might be physically easier and safer, but it means you might not be able to plant anything there for a year.

I have planted english ivy (which is invasive and evil, I regret doing it) and to try to smother it. I'm sure there are other, less noxious plants that could help smother the poison ivy. To tell you the truth, given a choice between english or poison ivy, I'll take the english.

Thanks for the suggestions, Laura. I agree, I would take the english over the poison ivy. But, LOL, that 50 ft bed of monkey grass started out as 12 little bitty border plants about 10 years ago, so I've got two invasives going on in that area. That is something I will never plant again.

I have been pulling this out all through the winter, even though it is a little hard to identify the small pieces. The large, hairy stems are easy to pull and cut. I had heard that it is better to work with poison ivy when it is relatively dormant, because it is the sap that irritates. I have still gotten some rash break-out, but not like I did before. Now that I see the little leaves sprouting I'll have to be REALLY careful. Dispose of them in a plastic garbage bag and leave for the garbage man. Don't burn, the fumes can hurt you, too.

I bought some cheap garden gloves and put plastic disposable gloves over them. I use the Ortho brush killer full strength on the ends of the biggest stems, if you have to cut and can't get all the roots by pulling. Use a piece of cardboard box to shield the rest of your plants. You actually may not mind killing some of your monkey grass, however...

and be sure to clean your tools and your clothes after... I have used Tecnu with some success.

I saw at Home Depot yesterday a Roundup specifically for Poison Ivy ... has anyone tried it?

I have used it, and I recommend it, but it takes repeated applications. I use it per the directions on the container (I buy it in volume, so I must mix it) about once a week until the particular infestation is dead. It takes awhile - it's a tough old vine. I am toxic-allergic to the plant, so it's important that I find a way to eradicate it. I have it in one corner of a 5 acre property that I putz around on propagating woody plants. Good luck, and you must stay the course. Patience will reward you.

i hear eating mango on a regular basis will help you develop an immunity to the poison. not sure how true it is but i eat a lot of mangoes and ive walked through patches of it that my coworker was dancing around like a wussy, and i dont itch.

You need to be careful with poison ivy, the urushiol in it is a sensitizer which means that even if you're not allergic to it now, you can become allergic to it with repeated exposure, so the more you are exposed to it the more you're increasing your chances of developing a reaction to it. Mango is in the same family as poison ivy and can produce a poison ivy-like reaction in some people, so if anything I would think it would make problems with poison ivy worse rather than better.

I've had my share of run-in's with poison ivy here on our property as well. I use the Round up for poison ivy but don't dilute as much as they recommend - I want to kill the stuff as quickly as possible and found it doesn't work as well at their dilute recommendations. I keep spraying and spraying until it's dead. I hate using herbicides on anything but you have to do what you have to do sometimes. And yes, I've found that continued exposure makes it easier to have reactions to it. Nasty stuff!

My husband is SOOOOO sensitive to it that his skin almost melts off of his body. His fingers swell up to almost double the size, he gets it inside his mouth and swears it gets into his throat. THANKFULLY we don't have any on the property but hunting or out walking with the dogs we have to be EXTRA vigilent in watching out for it. I on the other hand barely get it.

The only suggestions other than those voiced is the more you remove new growth, the quicker you will exhaust the root system. If you skipped planting annuals this year, could you keep it mowed to get rid of it. I don't know what that would do to the monkey grass or that you care if the monkey grass disappeared. If there is a lot around the area birds will spread it through seeds in their droppings.

The tecnu stuff someone mentioned is great, you wash the oils off with it to prevent breakouts. I am allergic and use it with great results. As far as getting rid of plants I have not managed to get rid of them myself. I have pulled it up by roots and still comes back. Covered some in fresh saw dust and it is growing through it. Someone said it would smother it but it is over a foot deep in sawdust and still coming up. So I need help there too.

Technu is an absolutely GREAT product, but where I buy it, it is usually paired with CALAGEL. If I use Technu after I am near Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac, I don't need calagel. I wish I could find a source for purchasing Technu in volume. It may be a smelly substance, but it truly works.

They seem to have it in all kinds of sizes including 32oz. I have ordered from them and was pleased.

http://www.gemplers.com/category.aspx?cat=plant-protection&s_kwcid=technu|976505245

I've used the Technu to remove the poison ivy oils too and think it works great also. I thought that the Roundup for poison ivy kills the plant systemically so if you keep spraying it with a strong solution, I think it will eventually succumb. That's seems to do it for me. Speaking of which, I need to get out my sprayer and start looking for the nasty stuff to spray, I'm sure it's lurking out there somewhere around here.

I ordered my tecnu from bailey's. That's a logging supply magazine and website. I never thought about the poor guys who have to climb trees and handle the stuff all day at work. My husband ordered a chainsaw part from them and I picked up book and saw it in there.

Yes, my friend's husband is a telephone guy and he wades through the stuff to climb trees and got a bad case of it last year. I told him to get the stuff and keep it on the job and to wash as soon as he can with it. Now I know a good source for it, thanks! I used to use the brown laundry soap but the Technu beats that. Don't know why God ever made Poison Ivy and Mosquitos!

DOUG, Thanks for the link. I've just ordered the 32 ounce.

Look into buying some 2,4-d amine. I had a patch of poison ivy growing in a large periwinkle bed. Sprayed with the Amine and it killed every bit of the ivy and didn't touch the periwinkle. I was amazed because its cheap and works. I think I paid $20 for a gallon at Southern States.