How to Get Rid of Poison Ivy

Dig Out Poison Ivy

Dig rather than pull at the fibrous roots for removal. Using a shovel or garden trowel, carve out a circle of soil at least eight inches in diameter and eight inches deep around the crown.

Lift the plant carefully out, free any attached roots, bag it, and dispose of it in a safe area. Clean any tools used with isopropyl alcohol to remove urushiol residue.

Smother the Plants

Although poison ivy can grow in shaded spots, it needs filtered light to thrive. Starving the plant of air and light is an effective removal method.

Cover the poison ivy with a piece of heavy cardboard for small areas or a large opaque tarp for larger areas. Weigh down the cover with wood chips and rocks or secure it with stakes since it is a creeping plant. Leave in position for six to eight weeks.

Even when the plants are brown and appear dead, wear protective gloves and clothing while pulling the roots. Discard the pulled roots appropriately in a heavy, sealed garbage bag.

Make a Natural Spray

This simple spray using common household ingredients may eradicate poison ivy.

Dissolve three pounds of salt in a gallon of water and add 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap. Fill a garden sprayer with the solution and spray the leaves thoroughly. You can repeat this continually until dieback occurs.

Spray White Vinegar

White vinegar contains acids that can alter soil pH and damage other plants, so practice care when using this solution to get rid of poison ivy.

Fill a garden garden sprayer with undiluted white vinegar and spray the leaves and crown of the plants. Be careful not to overspray on the surrounding soil. You can repeat this every few days until full dieback occurs.

Try the Boiling Water Method

You can safely pour boiling water over poison ivy to kill it. This method requires several applications but eventually, you will see wilting and dieback.

First, fill a tea kettle or another heat-proof vessel that has a spout with boiling water. Pour it over the crown of the poison ivy plant. Repeat if necessary every few days until there's dieback.

Cut Back and Repeat

This method requires diligence and will take longer but it will eventually starve the ivy of necessary nutrients, causing the plant to die. Use a snipper or hand pruner to cut back the vines to the crown.

Watch for any new growth and cut it back each time it appears. Don't forget to disinfect your tools after each cutting.

Use Herbicide

Using commercial herbicides (weed killers) specially formulated to eradicate poison ivy or woody plants will be the fastest solution to kill the plant. Follow the directions on the label, especially regarding the timing of application, to use the product correctly.

The best types of herbicides contain glyphosate, 2,4-D amine, or triclopyr. Consider these factors:

• 2,4-D amine works during the plant's active growth stage in late spring or early summer.
• Triclopyr works best in the spring when leaves are fully developed and after leaves turn color in the fall.
• Glyphosate controls poison ivy in early summer after it's grown.

Get Help From a Goat

This method may be impractical and atypical unless you are a homesteader or farmer but a goat will eat anything, including poison ivy. The leaves and vines might be eaten, but the roots will remain to grow back yearly.