A poison ivy patch in our backyard has been the source of a lot of discomfort the past couple of years. It’s intermingled in the shrub line, an area where the kids love to climb in and around. A couple of the kids have gotten poison ivy-Noah in particular got it very badly. Last summer I went out wearing long sleeves, gloves, long pants, and a scarf to attempt to pull and cut the nasty stuff out. I ended up with a horrible case of poison ivy and was afraid to go near it again, even though my attempts had done nothing to kill it.
The temptation to buy Roundup is strong when faced with a stubborn patch of this stuff. Even organic gardeners that I admire admit that when it comes to dreaded poison ivy they sometimes have to resort to getting a bottle of Roundup.
However, this article points out some alternatives. I don’t want to resort to Roundup, and yet I certainly don’t want to live with poison ivy!
7 ways to get rid of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak without using harsh and toxic chemical sprays. Listed in order of distance from and contact potential with plant. (source:www.realfarmacy.com)
1. Graze a goat there. Spanish and Angora goats are especially fond of poison ivy.
2. Vinegar spray. White vinegar will kill poison ivy, though it might take a few days to notice. Fill your garden sprayer with straight, undiluted white vinegar and take aim at the poison ivy leaves and crowns. Try not to soak the ground, since it will result in inhospitable acidity in the soil. If you want, you can use calcitic lime to neutralize any vinegar in the soil afterwards.
3. Salt, water, and natural soap spray. Mix 1 gallon of water with 3 lbs of salt until well dissolved, add 1/4 cup of natural dish soap. Spray poison ivy leaves. This solution could also kill other plants in the area, so take care not to over do it.
4. Gin Spray. Mix 1 oz gin, 1 oz apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon baby shampoo, 1 quart water. Spray onto leaves and crown during hot part of the day. Should be dead by the next day.
5. Burn the roots with boiling water. A good option if you just have a few stubborn plants or vines in flowerbeds or near walkways. Take your tea kettle full of boiling water and slowly drizzle on the very base of the plant. This might take a few applications over a few days, but will eventually do the trick.
6. Smother it. Using cardboard (best option) or newspaper, cover the entire area with poison ivy, then cover the cardboard with straw, wood chips, or grass clippings to keep the cardboard in place.
7. Pull it out. The fastest and most effective (and most dangerous) way to get rid of it is by pulling, or chopping it out with a maddock. Make sure if you chop it out that you get down about 8 inches and pull the vines and all out too. Fifteen percent of people are not allergic to poison ivy. So unless you are one of the lucky few, wear gloves and wash thoroughly afterward!
Read more at http://www.realfarmacy.com/7-ways-to-kill-poison-ivy-without-using-roundup/#Kfpo56xphalJ8u0a.99