Is poison ivy taking over your garden or yard? If so, don’t despair! We have some great ideas on how to kill poison ivy naturally.
What is Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy is like a nasty weed that spreads its toxic tentacles throughout your garden, leaving you feeling helpless and scratching. There are natural ways to eradicate this unwanted plant without resorting to harsh chemicals or poisons.
Identifying Poison Ivy
Knowing what poison ivy looks like is key to avoiding it and preventing exposure. You can find poison Ivy in forests, parks, yards, or any other natural environment. It’s important to note that not all plants with three leaves are poisonous – only the ones belonging to the Toxicodendron family have urushiol oil which causes a severe allergic reaction when you touch it.
The most common description of poison ivy is its trifoliate leaf pattern: three leaflets with one at the end of each stem. The center leaflet has a longer stalk than the two side leaflets, but they all generally appear on short stems from the same point along a vine. The leaf’s edges vary, some are smooth, while others are jagged. Its color ranges from yellow-green during springtime to reddish in summer months and finally dark bluish-green in fall.
Protective Clothing And Gear
The battle against poison ivy is a tricky one and requires protective clothing and gear. Before you put your health at risk, make sure to arm yourself with the right supplies. Natural poisons such as saltwater and vinegar can be used, but you must take measures to shield yourself from contact with the plant.
A plastic tarp or bag can come in handy for wrapping plants so they can be removed without coming into direct contact with skin.
Additionally, wearing gloves, long sleeves, and pants made of polyester or cotton will help protect your body from any sort of exposure. Make sure all exposed skin is covered before attempting to remove poison ivy from an area; otherwise, you could run the risk of developing an allergic reaction once contact has been made.
Pulling
It is possible to reduce and eliminate poison ivy from your landscape without using harsh chemicals. Mowing is recommended by some, but we at Backyard University do not. When you mow, it will cut up every part of the plant scattering poison throughout your yard. Instead, pull it up by the root and dispose of it to control the spread.
If you choose this method, make sure you are wearing appropriate protection – gloves, long sleeve, and pants. Dispose of all pulled plants properly; do not compost them, as they may continue to grow in the compost pile.
Soap Solutions
Soap solutions are a great way to naturally kill poison ivy. They are easy to use and have fewer side effects than chemical herbicides and are safe around children and pets.
Here are two methods for killing poison ivy with soap:
- Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent into 1 gallon of water in a spray bottle or garden hose attachment and spray the plant until it is completely saturated.
- Use insecticidal soap directly on the leaves of the plant by spraying them once weekly until it dies off.
These soap solutions will act as desiccants, drawing moisture away from the plant’s foliage and eventually causing it to die off without damaging other plants in your yard. Furthermore, using soaps can also help prevent further outbreaks since many insects that spread poison ivy cannot survive when exposed to soapy water.
Vinegar Solutions
White Vinegar is a natural way of killing off poison ivy and can be used in many different ways. It may take multiple applications before you see any results, but it will eventually work.
One method of using vinegar is to spray or pour full-strength vinegar directly onto the leaves of the poison ivy plant. This should be done every few days until all traces of the plant have disappeared from your yard. You may need to cover nearby plants with plastic sheeting to protect them from damage by the acidity of the vinegar.
Salt Solutions
Salt solutions are an effective way to kill poison ivy naturally. Saltwater is a natural poison and will kill poison ivy. By diluting salt with water, you create a solution powerful enough to eliminate the plant. Like vinegar, salt is nonselective meaning it will not only kill the poison ivy but everything else it touches, so stick to the leaves and only use it in areas where you don’t plan on planting for years to come – like between patio cracks or under decks.
To mix up a homemade batch, mix one cup of table salt into a spray bottle. Shake it up and spray the poison ivy. With consistent application, this method should eventually result in visible wilting and death within a few days’ time.
Boric Acid / Borax Solutions
Boric Acid or borax is another common natural solution you can use to kill poison ivy.
To use boric acid solutions, mix 2 tablespoons of granular or powdered form with 1 gallon of water, then spray it onto the foliage of the poison ivy plants. Make sure to get good coverage by spraying both sides of the leaves. Reapply every two weeks until you achieve the desired results while keeping an eye out for new growth, which may indicate additional applications are needed.
When using Borax or Boric acid solutions be careful around surrounding plants. A little will most likely not harm surrounding plants, but too much will.
Natural Predators
Some might question why you can use a goat to naturally kill poison ivy. After all, it isn’t known for its ability to handle poisonous plants! But believe it or not, goats can actually be an effective solution when dealing with this plant. Here are the benefits:
- Goats love to eat and will consume just about anything. This makes them ideal for areas where other animals won’t go near due to potential poisons in the foliage.
- Goats have strong stomachs that can handle eating plants containing toxins without being harmed.
- They leave behind very little waste compared to other livestock, such as cows which makes them much more efficient at clearing away unwanted vegetation like poison ivy.
- Goats are hardy animals and require less maintenance than many other types of livestock.
- They also provide a great source of natural fertilizer for your garden since their droppings contain valuable nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.
In addition to using goats as a way to clear out large patches of poison ivy, they can also help prevent it from coming back by continuing to graze on any new growth that may sprout up in the future. By keeping the area free from any potential food sources for the vine, you’ll reduce the chances of seeing any new infestations pop up again in the same location. With regular grazing habits, you can ensure that your yard or garden remains safe from these toxic plants year-round!
Other animal predators of poison ivy include deer, rabbits, goats, turkeys, black bears, and rats. Deer particularly love eating poison ivy foliage during summer months when other food sources are scarce. Rabbits also nibble on young shoots as they come up in early springtime before moving on to tastier treats later in the season.
Commercial Killers
It is possible to kill poison ivy naturally with various natural poisons such as vinegar or salt water solutions. However, if these aren’t effective enough for your needs, there are also chemical options available from local gardening stores such as Roundup that will kill the poison ivy but not the surrounding plants.
Burning
Burning is not recommended for killing poison ivy. In doing so, you can release toxins into the air which can go down your throat and into your lungs and cause an allergic reaction.
Conclusion
When it comes to poison ivy, prevention is the best medicine. With just a few simple steps and precautions, you can keep this annoying weed from taking over your landscape.