How To Eradicate Poison Ivy

You need to know the best way to eradicate poison ivy if you discover that you have this this pesky plant growing somewhere on your property. There is nothing that can spoil a fun time in the backyard or woods more then an encounter with the dreaded poison ivy plant.

The best way to eradicate poison ivy is to first know where it grows. You want to be sure you get rid of all of the plants in your living area. Poison ivy often grows around trees, in open grass and along the edges fields. It is a low ground-cover type of plant that is shrub-like in appearance with one single stem. It grows vines that wrap themselves around objects such as tree trunks and fences.

Eradicating poison ivy can be a bit tricky. You need to protect yourself from the poison ivy while you work so be sure to wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt and gloves. You will need to dig deep into the dirt to stop the plant from growing again, and this involves digging up the entire root system.

In order to completely eradicate poison ivy, you should use a shovel and dig up the ground that surrounds the plant and be sure to get the shovel under the end of the root system. You should then dispose of the poison ivy plant and roots in a large plastic garbage bag, being sure to seal the bag tightly when finished.

Another way to eradicate poison ivy is to smother the plant to stop it from growing. In this method you need to cut the stems and leaves of the plant and then cover the area on the ground with a tarp or heavy plastic. Leave this covering on the area for a period of two or three weeks, then simply dig out the roots and dispose of them in a plastic bag. Keep in mind that even if the plant is dead, you can still get a reaction because the toxic oil urushiol is still present.

Some people feel that the best way to eradicate poison ivy is with the use of herbicides. You can use herbicides to kill the portion of the plant that is above-ground and then remove the root system later by digging it out. Herbicides are toxic so it is advisable to cover your skin and wear a breathing mask and safety goggles when working with it.