Poison Ivy Problems

Here are some alternate ways to get poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans) under control without damaging the soil in the process.

Boiling water

Some folks suggest that pouring boiling water on the plants and the nearby roots will kill off growth. You must be willing to kill everything in the area, though, as this is a pretty nonspecific solution. For my purpose, this isn’t practical, as the area in question is rather large. Boiling water may be a good solution for a few isolated plants, though.

Manual Pulling

Pulling out the vines and root of the plant (suitably covered up while doing so, of course) is one of the time-tested ways of discouraging poison ivy. You have to keep at it, though, and don’t burn the weeds afterwards if you value your lungs or your relationship with your neighbors.

Mowing

Repeatedly trimming or mowing off the vines at the soil surface will absolutely end your poison ivy problem, but you have to be diligent about keeping it trimmed every time the plant pokes its head above ground.

Sheet Mulch

Any kind of heavy mulch piled thick above a poison ivy plant will kill it off. This is a nice solution to use in combination with mowing or trimming.

Goats

Goats are cute and would provide hours of aggrava— … I mean, entertainment. Goats love to eat poison ivy, but you’ll need to be able to fence them or stake them in a specific area for awhile. They aren’t single-minded eaters and will mow up quite a few of your other plants, but if you keep them in the same area long enough they will eat down all the poison ivy.

Soil remediation

Here is where my real focus is in fixing just about any weed issue. Why is the poison ivy there in the first place? What is “wrong” with the soil?

FIXING THE CALCIUM DEFICIT Poison ivy appears to like soils that are deficient in calcium, phosphorus and selenium. A good compost tea that includes comfrey, horsetail and even seaweed and is applied on a routine basis could bring the nutrient level up in the soil and create an environment where poison ivy can’t survive.

NEUTRALIZING SOIL PH To take another route, in most cases poison ivy likes an acid soil. Test the soil in the area to be sure and then add lime to counteract the acidity.

— Dawn Combs. Learn more at www.

hobbyfarms.com/ 6-natural-ways-to-kill-poison-ivy

poison ivy appears to like soils that are deficient in calcium, phosphorus and

selenium.

Poison ivy rash is caused by an allergic reaction to an oily resin called urushiol, which is in the leaves, stems and roots of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.