Having developed a poison oak/poison ivy outbreak in as many weeks after doing some field work on the homestead, it is time for global thermonuclear war. Despite my best efforts of gloves, long sleeves, jeans, boots and a face shield, I have still managed to have an outbreak.

What is the best tool/herbicide for eliminating it? Ive got a few trees that have it in the undergrowth that Id like to clean out anyway, but I have a couple of thickets full of it. This was on my fall "to do" list, but its now become a priority. What are my options for large scale herbicide application? Ive been buying glycophosphate in bulk since last year since Im using a ton of it for fenceline/driveway grass control, so Ive got plenty of that.

2-4-D

+1

We generally use a prep called "Pasture Pro". Doesn't hurt grass, no  grazing restrictions, you can spray around a tree base without hurting the tree (as long as you keep the spray away from the leaves). No lingering effect on soil - only works via leaf absorption.  Just be careful around wetland areas - not good for amphibians, etc.

Nick

Crossbow or the generic Crossroads from Rural King. It's a mixture of 2,4-D and triclopyr. Most cost effective way to treat vines, brush and other unwanted broad leaves. Does not harm grass. I order 5 gallons at a time.

brush b gone

whatever you do, do not actually burn it.........and if you do do not inhale the smoke.

rent-a-goat

Go borrow some goats.

Just remember, it is not a onetime thing.  If you have poison ivy plants, you have PI seeds in the ground that will germinate and start growing over the next two years.  If your neighbors have PI, birds will eat the berries and shit the seeds on your property.  Then those seeds will come up.  After you knock it back using any of the products above, plan on carrying a quart squirt bottle with you as you make our rounds.

This is very true.  I had a couple acres where the primary ground cover was lush PI about 8-12" high.  The vines growing up the trees were easy enough to get rid of, just cut them.  As mentioned a few posts up, Crossbow herbicide at maximum prescribed rates, plus a surfactant and the largest back pack sprayer (mine is 4 gallons) are your best weapon.  You will have to spray twice, at least.  Give the herbicide 2-3 weeks.  Do not disturb the soil.  I like Crossbow as it kills PI, wild grapes, Virginia Creeper, and Autumn Olive and does not kill the grass which helps shade out the PI seeds.  

Strange, but the area I sprayed  that is larger oaks and grass is now a popular bedding and turkey nesting area.  

Good luck, I'm itching right now.  I scraped the riding mower deck of dried crap and there must have been some PI oil under there.

i want to make fun of you and brag I never get it,,but "they say" that once in your lifetime, you will change your tolerance to poison ivy. If you are immune, you will get it,,and if you get it, at some point, you won't. I don't know whether to believe that or not,,but my wife hates the fact that I can strip it from trees with my bare hands and never get anything. If i just say the words "poison ivy",,,she breaks out. I am 60 now,,,so if I am gonna change, it will be soon!

My mother told me she caught me chewing on it when I was a small child, and freaked out about it,,but nothing happened to me.

I remember I used to chase my sisters down and rub them with it when they pissed me off. Mom did beat me for that a couple times. They sure did look funny with all those pink spots all over them,,calamine lotion in big bottles at our house since I have 7 sisters.

My wife seems to be immune, currently it isn't too bad, just a couple of "dots".  I can spot PI out of the corner of my eye 100 yards off the interstate while going 70.....being allergic makes you an amateur botanist, if only for a few plants.  

I was going to add that if you have some huge vines like I did, some were 5" thick, you can wait until fall and cut them and then take the bottom part of the vine (the root end) and invert it into a Zip Lock bag of Crossbow.  Wait until fall when the plant is pulling nutrients into the root system for the winter.  It will suck up that Crossbow and kill the whole root structure, which is what you are really going for.  Having goats nibble a few leaves isn't going to fix anything.

ETA: Scorched earth would be Tordon RTU...but it has some residual effect in the soil, so unless you really hate part of your property, Crossbow works fine.  I get mine from Keystone Pest Solutions.

This thread is relevant to my interests.  I'm quite alergic to it, and my property is infested with it.  Currently using Roundup made specifically for poison ivy to knock it back, but I'm told it isn't a permanent solution.  Might have to try some of the chemicals listed here.

Just wanted to quote this for importance. Buried a few people I know who were foolish enough to burn poison ivy and the wind shifted. They suffered tremendously as lesions formed on their lungs and they drowned in their own fluids.

I've never had much luck using 2-4-D on woody vines and shrubs. Look for a product labeled for it. It will likely be some form of 2-4-5-T.
Good luck.

Tom

for woody vines your going to want something that has Triclopyr. It will kill trees so be carful if you don't want them dead as well.

Here is the generic version of Crossbow. $46 bucks a gallon and free shipping. You might be able to find it cheaper locally.
http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/hiyield-range-and-pasture-triclopyr-p-16004.html

Here is a good video on clean up - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyoDRHpQK0.

Please accept my apology.

I meant to QUOTE your post, and I screwed up.  

I edited it instead, then had a glitch and it poofed.

That was unintentional, and now all the other mods will get a good laugh.

I'm very sorry.  You did nothing wrong and now your good post is lost and it's my fault.

It was a REALLY good post, which is why I wanted to quote it.

if you wish to recreate your post, please do so.  I can't do it accurately.



Kitties, who will now slink away to her hidey hole

FWIW, I hate that damn edit button.  It's RIGHT beside the quote button.  

Reposting my info from the "poofed" post. No problem Kitties, stuff happens.


IMHO, you're playing with fire by touching it. Our bodies "build" a reaction to most irritants/allergens. Repeated exposure, prolonged exposure, well any exposure for that matter gets you once step closer to having a reaction. I too used to never get it, I was careless about it before I understood how our bodies react with allergens. Now I get it... Some people build a reaction quickly and that is why they seemingly are allergic from birth (or early childhood), others build slowly and that is why some may be able to go a lifetime without ever developing a reaction. I wouldn't be careless though. I would still take appropriate precautions because one day it may come back to bite you.


To the OP, are you disposing of the gloves every time? If not your gloves (the one thing that is certain to come in contact with ivy, are contaminated). If they are leather the oils have likely soaked through to the inner lining. Contaminated gloves = contaminated hands = poison ivy all over your body when you remove your protective clothing. Get some cheap, disposable gloves. For me, I like the latex dipped knit gloves that menards has free after rebate every once in a while. I keep pairs in the vehicles, in the shed, a bag of them in the garage. And ANY time I think I may have gotten into PI I carefully peel them off (the same as a nurse would peel off latex after treating an ebola patient) and throw them away. Then, before touching anything I wash.

That being said, the fact of the matter is that you WILL come in contact with the oil. Your body will react if you don't get it off. I have found that as long as I get it off within 4-6 hours I don't have a reaction, even when I know for certain I've been in it. So how do we get it off without buying lots of expensive, specialized PI wash products? Look around your house; there is a product there that is made specifically for getting grease & oil OFF things, every household has it. Did you find your dish-soap? The good stuff (not the watered down , off-brand garbage)? I buy Palmolive Professional Concentrate in gallons. Take your clothes off in an area that will cause as little household contamination as possible; I do it in the garage, open the door, go in, close the door, strip naked, and touch as little as possible on my way to the shower (don't forget that dish-soap on your way, mine stays in the shower). Before you get any part of your body wet, soap up from head to toe (hair included). Why do it before we get in you ask? Certain oil/soap combinations work better without the addition of water, some work better with water. We're going to be extra cautious and do it both ways. Now that you're soaped and lathered from head to toe, you can step in the shower and wash it off. Now point the water away and lather up again (your body has enough water on it already). Rinse it off again. Now shower as normal (shampoo, regular soap, etc). This method was told to me by an old wood-cutter; I dreaded cutting firewood bc I just knew I was going to get PI at some point. But since learning of this trick I have NEVER had it except one time that I didn't know I had been exposed and I didn't follow this protocol.

Scorched earth? Monoborchlorate applied liberally will kill everything. In a year or two you can replant.

Meh, life is too short to sweat the small stuff. Don't sweat it.

I run glyphosate, 2-4-D or Tryclopyr depending on what I'm trying to kill. In one case, I'll run all of them, because nothing else works. Previous owner of my property planted something called Che-Berries about 50 years ago. Shit has gnarly thorns that have caused serious damage on my property - tractor tyres punctured, even a chicken! They were free ranging at the time and the hen probably wanted to get into the buch to go after something - she got entangled in the thorns and it killed her. I kid you not...anyways, goats won't touch it. Pigs won't touch it. I cut it down and it's back a few weeks later - so now we are going nuclear on it. I wanted to mix all 3 together and then add some diesel, but the wife told my I need to stop being psycho

No one is more allergic to poison ivy or oak than me.  It's put me in the hospital due to the severity of rashes, I breathed the smoke from it and I was on an inhalator for a week.  I can spot it a mile away.  Roundup has worked around the house, at the ranch I was Grazon P+D or roundup.  Using a chain saw clearing fences is the worse place to find it to get into.  I was Dawn soap and scrub down my arms and hands, twice or even three times.  If I feel or see an itchy spot, I run an ice cube on it until it is numb.  The clothes I had on stay outside hanging on fence to dry out.  I now keep a steroid pack with me 24/7 in case I get into it before I can wash off.  I have only hours before I'm in trouble without the pack.   My wife and two boys can eat the shit....

I have wiped out fairly large areas of it with 2-4D. Put it on heavy and maybe come check it again after a few days/week, hit any thing still green with a little more, and you got it!


If grass isn't an issue adding round up will help, they work good together. Or the old school farmer trick to kill about anything is spray diesel on it, especially in the summer, you can fry small trees and all! Lol


 

Phase 1 started today.

40 gallons of round up later, we will see what survives and go back with Crossbow next.

Should be some obvious wilting where the Glyphos got into the crud.

Any updates?

Not yet. I'm in Phoenix for work again this week and don't fly back again until Friday. I'll check on it then.

Did some checking this weekend. Lots of wilt in the area cut out for my trailer and implement storage, so that's a plus. I'm going to stop on the way home on Friday since I'm in PHX again this week and but a broadcast sprayer for the ATV, then it's Crossbow time on the yard and old pasture, and then spraying around d the trees and thickets to thin them out.

Ha.  Ha.  Goats have already been mentioned.  They will absolutely kill it dead and it will not come back.  Ask me how I know.  And you are feeding the goats at the same time!

Yup.

Here on the wet side of the cascades we can grow some nasty blackberries and poison oak.  Crossbow knocks them both down quick.

One word of caution--it also is very effective on broadleaf trees, shrubs and flowers.  It is also relatively volatile.  Translation--don't spray near stuff you want to keep, don't spray when it's windy and don't spray when it's hot.

Thank Gawd I don't have that problem over here.

I spent a good part of my youth in the mainland slathered in calomine.

triclopyr is what will kill the poison ivy dead.  I bought a new place and it is covered with poison ivy.  The entire underside of my forearm is one big rash, for the second time this year.  My brother does land reclamation and other types of environmental work.  He said a 2-5% solution of triclopyr will do the job.  2% should work but if you are going scorched earth and want it dead right now the 5% solution will do the job.  He also told me to get a surfactant.  They sold it at Tractor Supply right next to the chemicals.  It helps the chemical stick to the plant making it more effective.  

Glyphosate will kill grass and broadleafs.  It might take out small poison ivy plants but not the big stuff.

Yep, Crossbow is 2,4-D plus Triclopyr and works really well.

I haven't read a triclopyr label to know the recommended application rates, but just keep in mind that "more is not better" when it comes to chemicals. In many cases an application rate that is too heavy can actually hamper chemical absorption into the plant and cause the opposite of the desired effect.

5% sounds high to me (off the top of my head), but I would recommend following the label in all cases.

Change the ph of the soil so that it doesn't have a good growing environment. Pulverized lime works well to neutralize the soil.

Triclopyr will kill a rock. Be very careful with this shit. We sprayed some che berry trees with it. Made sure there's no wind and were very careful with it. All the fruit trees around it suffered, but appears to be recovering now. Come to think of it, I would gladly sacrifice the entire orchard to be rid of those damn trees!

Weed-eater

sahara

My rental has Summac on it and it eats me up every single time i even look at it. that is until watched this video  like 3 weeks ago. Since then  i have been neck deep in cutting out the summac and so far, after following these directions, I have been rash free.

 
Similar experience here but ended up with small rashes.  I own a property covered in poison ivy and have been broken out all summer.  However, following the advice I am not rash free but I am free of major rashes.  I pruned up a poison ivy vine and carried an arm full bundle of it away.  I had gloves and a tshirt on.  I was able to wash with Dawn and a scrubbing pad within 45 minutes.  I have what look like scratched mosquito bite rashes on my arm which is much better than full scale rashes.  I did forget that while carrying the poison ivy one branch flipped backwards and a leaf rubbed the back of my ear.  I did not scrub that area with Dawn, I forgot about the contact, and ended up with a full breakout.  Thankfully it was a small area of contact.




I did not scrub for 2 full minutes like the video said.  I figured after a minute I was good.  I also immediately took a shower where I used soap again.  Next time I will try the full 2 minutes of scrubbing.


 

BTW, the poison ivy was used to wrap around tree trunks.  I had someone shimmy up one of my trees trying to steal a game camera.  Shimmy up that tree now.