How to get rid of Poison Ivy?

[NJCher]

16. wow, what a great idea

Do you have any idea how I might find some goats?

I don't have a friend with goats.

Should I advertise on Craigslist to borrow some goats? That's all I can think of!!

Would the goats wander off without a fence?

I love this idea.

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OK, here's my answer on the poison ivy. My answer is based on eradicating another very tough weed whose roots go nine-feet deep.

First, I would never use Roundup. Check the latest news on Roundup (there are new findings, and they are disturbing, indeed). It sounds like there are some viable options suggested by posters on this thread--the vinegar, the gasoline.

I have poison ivy on my property, too, and here is my plan to eradicate it:

I am going to take a weed wacker to it, but prior to doing so, spray paint parts of it with a color like neon orange. After it has fallen to the ground, I will leave it there until it dries up. Then I will carefully put it into a bag with tongs (while wearing long-sleeved gloves and being fully protected with clothing--long-sleeved shirt duct-taped to my long-sleeve gloves, for example). The reasoning here is that it is much easier to handle in its dried out state than it is when it's fully green.

Yes I know it is still as powerful dried out as it is green.

The next thing to do--to avoid digging it out--is to smother it. Cover the area where it's growing with a couple pieces of cardboard. Pile leaves on top and secure it with a brick or a piece of concrete.

That's it. The only other thing you have to do on a regular basis is to go check it to see if it grew beyond the cardboard. If it does, chop it off and deny it light. If you keep doing this, it has to die because it is denied what it needs to survive.

Even if you do the goats, you'd have to mark the area and smother the poison ivy to make sure it doesn't come back.

Poison ivy is formidable, but my method is both time-saving and will minimize the direct contact.



Cher