How To Get Rid Of Poison Ivy (Without Harming Other Plants)

Poison ivy can be a nuisance in the garden. You may want to eliminate this invader ivy from your garden yard, but you may be worried about the other plants surrounding it.

Here, we will help you learn How To Get Rid Of Poison Ivy without killing other plants in your garden.

Poison ivy may seem like a formidable opponent, but you can beat it by learning to get rid of poison ivy without killing other plants.

This ivy tends to appear in 48 different southern states. It is a native plant that can be found lurking on the edges of many forests and locations with a medium intensity of sunlight.

What Are The Challenges To Getting Rid Of Poison Ivy?

One of the most important challenges faced when you get rid of poison ivy without killing other plants is that this ivy is a hardy plant that can survive many conditions.

Poison ivy goes through swift propagation, with the seeds carried by variant sources like birds, animals, and rhizomes growing underground.

Due to this reason, this ivy can pop up in your yard quite unexpectedly. If you have observed a growing poison ivy in your yard, you may be scouring for ideas about how to get rid of poison ivy.

Why is Poison Ivy Problematic for Humans?

There are many people that are allergic to the chemical known as urushiol. This chemical is found in poison ivy and comprises an oily resin. 

The oily resin can easily get stuck on the tools, clothes, and skin – this is why you need to be extremely careful when you are working with poison ivy.

You can soar up an allergic reaction when you come in contact with urushiol – whether the contact is direct or through indirect sources like your clothes, shoes, or tools.

Urushiol can make themselves comfortable on things and can stay on for years. Hence, you must ensure proper cleaning methods for everything and decontaminate them.

How To Get Rid Of Poison Ivy Without Killing Other Plants

Let’s explore a couple of ways to eradicate poison ivy from the garden.

1. Use Herbicide On Poison Ivy

You may have stopped the use of non-selective herbicides because you want to get rid of poison ivy without killing other plants.

However, you can use it if you can make sure that the herbicide will only reach the poison ivy. For this, you can get rid of the sprays and wipe the herbicide on the poison ivy.

One trick to know that you have covered all the leaves is to add some food coloring to the mix of herbicide.

You can use many methods to wipe the herbicide on the leaves of this toxic ivy. A soft paintbrush is ideal in many cases.

Use a flat saw and hold the leaf steady while you layer the leaf with herbicide with the help of a paintbrush.

2. You Can Dig Up Poison Ivy

You may have to put up with manual labor and dig up the poison ivy plant.

This process may be tedious, but it is one of the most effective ones that ensure you eliminate each and every part of this noxious plant.

Before digging up the plant, you need to have all the things ready that are required to dispose of the plants.

You can line up a huge bin with a trash bag and toss all the poison ivy in it. Make sure that the bin is kept near you so that you safely suppose them without contacting some other plants.

The best time to do this process is after a good rain. This is because the rain causes the ground to soften, allowing the rhizome roots to be removed more easily.

3. Cut The Poison Ivy Back

If there is a small invasion of poison Ivy in the yard, you can manage to control it by cutting it. For this, you can cut the plant to the level of the ground.

You can start the cutting process in spring. Be vigilant about the growth of it and cut them out again as soon as you observe new leaves or shoots sprouting.

4. Spray The Poison Ivy

Spraying herbicides can end up killing other plants too.

However, if the poison ivy is next to a fence or a bit farther from the plants, you can cover up the plants and spray the poison ivy.

You cannot use this method if the poison ivy is intertwined with some other tree.

5. Smother The Poison Ivy

Like all the rhizomes, you will see that the poison ivy will also try to send out new shoots.

For this, you can use a sheet of plastic, rubber, or cardboard order to cover the soil. Take the help of heavy rocks to keep it down.

Due to this, the light would not enter the soil, which would kill the plant.

6. Opt For Farm Animals

Contrary to humans, animals actually thrive on these plants. This plant acts as a food source for many animals like deer, raccoons, turkeys, bears, goats, and quails.

While it is not possible to let the bear disrupt your garden, you can get some goats and allow them to get rid of the poison ivy for you.

Chickens are also fond of poison ivy. However, the goats can chew it out at a faster pace.

With goats, you need to make sure that the other plants are covered so that they do not start feeding on them.

7. Take Help Of The Boiling Water

If you spot poison ivy growing on a path or a location that would not disrupt the surrounding location, you can use the boiling water method.

Ensure that you do not breathe in the vapors that would form as they can be toxic for your nasal passage and lungs.

Add boiling water to the roots of this toxic plant for a few days in order to eradicate it.

Can I Burn Poison Ivy?

One thing to know is that never try to burn poison ivy, no matter how much you want to.

• The smoke of the burned plant can potentially be dangerous for the nasal passage as well as your lungs.
• Other than that, you should make sure that you do not add any substance belonging to the poison ivy to your compost.
• This is because the urushiol can result in reactions even after the process of plant decomposition.
• Choosing a plan to get rid of poison ivy without killing other plants is based on how extensive the problem is and the resources you can easily pull up.

How to Dress Up When Tackling Poison Ivy?

You should ensure that your skin is completely covered when you are getting ready to go to the war zone of poison ivy!

• For this purpose, you can wear a long-sleeved shirt that is thick and a pair of long pants.
• To protect your hand and feet, you can add a pair of robust gloves and socks.
• Get out your trusted pair of boots for this mission because those are much easier to clean and wipe than the other form of footwear.
• You can also wear goggles if you have a lot of poison ivy.
• You should be mindful not to touch your face or eyes when you are in close contact with poison ivy.
• For better protection of your hands, you can use a plastic bag to cover up your gloved hand.
• Add this plastic bag on top of the gloved hand and secure it with the help of a rubber band. The plastic will help in ceasing the penetration of any toxic substance into your hands.

How Do Ensure proper Cleanup After Working With Poison Ivy?

Also, you can easily yet carefully dispose of the disposable shield of plastic used over the gloves.

After that, you can first take off the pair of boots and wipe them out using your gloved hands.

After that, go near the washing machine and take off the clothes. Toss all of the clothes in the washing machine without letting them touch anything else.

Turn on the hot wash and let the washing machine do its work. You can go and take a bath. If you feel an itch in your body, you can add Epsom salts to the bath to soothe it.

You should not forget to clean all the tools using alcohol.

Final Thoughts

It can be a bit hard to get rid of poison ivy without killing other plants. However, you can use the method mentioned above in order to do so.

Poison ivy can be a persistent plant. However, you can be consistent in your methods too.

Killing Of Poison Ivy FAQs

Olivia

My name is Olivia, and I live in the United States and love having plants in my garden. Lots of plants are there on my balcony, indoor and outdoor garden also. Here I am trying to share useful gardening tips, how to grow and care for various plants, etc.