How To Get Rid Of Poison Ivy— Tips On Getting Rid Of Poison Ivy

Have you ever been knocked out with painful rashes when romping around in the woods or lazing around your garden? Did you end up itching till your misery only worsened? Blame it on poison ivy, a toxic, obnoxious plant that loves to creep into gardens and lawns but is better kept off-limits. Ask anyone who has had a close brush with these venomous plants and they will tell you how imperative it is to get rid of these dreadful garden companions. An accidental bump into poison ivy can cause you a great deal of irritation and the only way to avert the risk is to turf out these prickly plants from your yard.

Easier said than done, getting rid of this itchy opportunist is no easy task. With countless tales associated with it, uprooting poison ivy is indeed a serious bet. It is important to eradicate these plants from their roots to stop them from growing back, and for this you need more than just a will to stomp the weed out. Here are some easy instructions on how to take on the task and eliminate poison ivy from your yard safely, so just read on.

Tips On Getting Rid Of Poison Ivy

Turfing out the noxious poison ivy from your garden is no child’s play and anyone who has done it before can vouch for that. Rooting out these prickly blights is a delicate business that needs careful dealing and not to say, some clever expertise. Before you get down and dirty, it is important to locate these itchy weeds. Poison ivy usually bunches up around the trees, fields, open grass and road sides. They spring up as low-ground cover, freestanding shrubs or vines.
Poison ivy is just like the bad penny; it keeps coming back if not properly uprooted. However, before you get on with the task of stamping out these toxic weeds, prepare a homemade herbicide to suit your purpose. Just mix one cup of salt, a gallon of water and two tablespoons of dish soap and spray on these toxic plants to eliminate them for good.
Do not forget to cover the exposed parts of your body before taking up this task. It would pay to wear a long sleeved shirt, hand gloves, long pants and boots to save yourself from a bothersome itch. Make sure that you are well-covered when removing poison ivy from the ground. Remember, prevention is better than cure, so don’t take your chances!
Apart from the sprayer, remember to carry hedge clippers and a trash bag along. You will need hedge clippers to clip off the vines from trees and trash bag to store the uprooted trouble-maker. Young poison ivy plants can be easily extirpated by hand.
Spray the soapy-salt solution directly over the poison ivy foliage and at the base. After you are done spraying, place a black plastic tarp over the poison ivy to block the sunlight as well as to serve as a warning for the unaware. Poison ivy might take several days to wither, so be patient and wait for it to shrivel before completely removing it.
As already said, it is important to uproot these vicious weeds from their roots. Dig deep and follow the roots to their ends to pull them out tp prevent them from creeping back up. You can cut down the leaves and stem before uprooting the plant. It is essential to dispose of the uprooted poison ivy safely to deter it from springing up or spreading toxic urushiol oil. Dump the uprooted plants in a plastic bag and then trash them into disposable waste bins.
Never burn poison ivy plants since doing so can release toxic urushiol into the air that can not only trigger allergic reactions, but even inflict severe damage on the environment and human health. It can be extremely dangerous if inhaled and can at times have fatal consequences, too.
Once you are done with it, remove your gloves immediately and rush for a quick shower. Use dish wash soap instead of regular soap to rinse off the irritated parts since dish soaps are known to be more effective against urushiol oil—an oily resin found in poison ivy responsible for those ugly skin rashes that occur when it comes into contact with exposed body parts.

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How To Get Rid Of Poison Ivy

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