Fast, effective, poison ivy/climbing vine killer?

[benz66]

The way to control poison ivy is to wait until fall. In fall, (november) in the dark of the moon, I go out and cut 1' to 3' out of the base of the vine, then let it die. In Nov, the leaves are off, it is doemant, and the oil is minimal. I am very allergic to it, but never have a a problem in Nov, as long as I am careful. In Nov. you can also dig/pull up the roots of any that is growing on the ground. If you do this between the last quarter and the full moon, you almost never get regrowth. I just put on leather gloves and pull the stuffout and pile it to rot for a couple years. Then you can burn it. The vines, I just let rot in the tree.

You can cut the vine in a tree carefully any time of the year, but if it is in the light of the moon, it will regrow. Best to cut the vine in the dark of the moon.

I had terrible poison ivy around my house in IA I built in 1980. Every Nov it was cut/pull poison ivy and poison oak. Got rid of most of it in a year or two, but the birds keep seeding it.

My grandfather, a farmer/logger, said the best time to cut logs is the dark of the moon in Feb. I gather that was to prevent regrowth on the stump, and also for the least sap/weight to handle the logs. Logs were loaded on sleds with a team and ropes. I loaded my big logs that way too, but with a tractor to pull the ropes. (not a horseman)

You can kill it on the ground with chemicals, but not up in a tree. The chemicals are expensive. Cutting/pulling is not. I make sure to leave the leather gloves out in the sun, palm side up to neutralize the oils.

 

[djg james]

The way to control poison ivy is to wait until fall. In fall, (november) in the dark of the moon, I go out and cut 1' to 3' out of the base of the vine, then let it die. In Nov, the leaves are off, it is doemant, and the oil is minimal. I am very allergic to it, but never have a a problem in Nov, as long as I am careful. In Nov. you can also dig/pull up the roots of any that is growing on the ground. If you do this between the last quarter and the full moon, you almost never get regrowth. I just put on leather gloves and pull the stuffout and pile it to rot for a couple years. Then you can burn it. The vines, I just let rot in the tree.

You can cut the vine in a tree carefully any time of the year, but if it is in the light of the moon, it will regrow. Best to cut the vine in the dark of the moon.

I had terrible poison ivy around my house in IA I built in 1980. Every Nov it was cut/pull poison ivy and poison oak. Got rid of most of it in a year or two, but the birds keep seeding it.

My grandfather, a farmer/logger, said the best time to cut logs is the dark of the moon in Feb. I gather that was to prevent regrowth on the stump, and also for the least sap/weight to handle the logs. Logs were loaded on sleds with a team and ropes. I loaded my big logs that way too, but with a tractor to pull the ropes. (not a horseman)

You can kill it on the ground with chemicals, but not up in a tree. The chemicals are expensive. Cutting/pulling is not. I make sure to leave the leather gloves out in the sun, palm side up to neutralize the oils.

Never heard 'Dark of the Moon' thing. Interesting.

 

[djg james]

This is what the guy at Home Depot suggested, but wasn't sure about whether or not multiple applications were needed - so I thought I'd seek out a more knowledgeable source, hence my joining here.

Essentially, I'm trying to kill the ivy quickly (without need for multiple applications) and without harming the tree(s). The grass near the tree is expendable in the near-term.

View attachment 1183041View attachment 1183044

Pretty expensive for Ready to Use (diluted). Amazing how they can use the RoundUp name and not a bit of Glyphosate in it.

 

[djg james]

I’ve used 2,4-D and triclopyr and dicamba to cook poison ivy in the past. If you can find something with dicamba in it that’ll really burn it down. The Diquat in that roundup branded mix is some nasty stuff !! PPE up for sure with that stuff !!

Cutting it down to 6” above ground and “painting” it on the stems is the best way to kill it. Spraying it doesn’t do much as the leaves are all oily.

When RoundUp first came out, it was only Glyphosate and touted to be safe to pets because it's safely metabolized in the system. The down side is it took seven days to notice it working. Farmers didn't like that so they reforulated it under the same name by adding Diquat (I think) which cause a faster burn down in like two days. No mention of the hazard to pets though.

 

[BufordTJustice]

Thanks much DJG.

 

[jblnut]

When RoundUp first came out, it was only Glyphosate and touted to be safe to pets because it's safely metabolized in the system. The down side is it took seven days to notice it working. Farmers didn't like that so they reforulated it under the same name by adding Diquat (I think) which cause a faster burn down in like two days. No mention of the hazard to pets though.

When “RoundUp” first came out in the 1970’s it was the brand name for glyphosate. Monsanto (now Bayer) has created an entire product line around the name RoundUp since it came off patent in 2000 to keep people buying it. Generic products with glyphosate are less than half the money of “RoundUp” and I know of no one that buys name brand RoundUp anymore. This year I purchased a product called Willowood Glypho 5 and it’s 53.8% glyphosate and nothing else and it was around $14/gal when purchased in 275gal totes.

Farmers do not “reformulate” anything. Chemical companies do that. We farmers absolutely can and do purchase multiple different products and create a custom tank mix to target whatever weeds we’re going after. I have personally ever sprayed Diquat on production crops. Poison ivy and thistles once in a while yes but it’s nasty nasty stuff. I don’t know anyone around us that sprays it either. I know all three local co-ops around me won’t spray it or Dicamba because of safety/liability issues.

Every single label on every single jug of chemical you can buy from any reputable retailer has a data sheet that says what rate to use it at, what animals/pests/living things it has an effect on. Info about what time of day, wind speeds, temperatures and lots more are on the labels as well. The info is there if you want to dive into it and utilize it.

I am not trying to change anyone’s mind on anything here but every single chemical I have access to spray as a farmer is perfectly safe to humans and pets and whatever as long as the label directions are followed. Spraying unneeded things on my fields doesn’t happen as everything costs money and I’d like to make as much profit as possible. We are constantly looking at how we can cut costs through different management practices such as no till or non-spraying methods but sometimes a herbicide application just has to happen.

This year I’ll have over $50k in herbicide expenses. If I didn’t need to do it I sure wouldn’t. Even with rising prices we were able to cut $15k off the farm chem budget by switching to a different crop rotation and planting more cover crops. I hope to get that number down to $10k or less in the next 5-7yrs.

 

[djg james]

When “RoundUp” first came out in the 1970’s it was the brand name for glyphosate. Monsanto (now Bayer) has created an entire product line around the name RoundUp since it came off patent in 2000 to keep people buying it. Generic products with glyphosate are less than half the money of “RoundUp” and I know of no one that buys name brand RoundUp anymore. This year I purchased a product called Willowood Glypho 5 and it’s 53.8% glyphosate and nothing else and it was around $14/gal when purchased in 275gal totes.

Farmers do not “reformulate” anything. Chemical companies do that. We farmers absolutely can and do purchase multiple different products and create a custom tank mix to target whatever weeds we’re going after. I have personally ever sprayed Diquat on production crops. Poison ivy and thistles once in a while yes but it’s nasty nasty stuff. I don’t know anyone around us that sprays it either. I know all three local co-ops around me won’t spray it or Dicamba because of safety/liability issues.

Every single label on every single jug of chemical you can buy from any reputable retailer has a data sheet that says what rate to use it at, what animals/pests/living things it has an effect on. Info about what time of day, wind speeds, temperatures and lots more are on the labels as well. The info is there if you want to dive into it and utilize it.

I am not trying to change anyone’s mind on anything here but every single chemical I have access to spray as a farmer is perfectly safe to humans and pets and whatever as long as the label directions are followed. Spraying unneeded things on my fields doesn’t happen as everything costs money and I’d like to make as much profit as possible. We are constantly looking at how we can cut costs through different management practices such as no till or non-spraying methods but sometimes a herbicide application just has to happen.

This year I’ll have over $50k in herbicide expenses. If I didn’t need to do it I sure wouldn’t. Even with rising prices we were able to cut $15k off the farm chem budget by switching to a different crop rotation and planting more cover crops. I hope to get that number down to $10k or less in the next 5-7yrs.

Never heard of anything greater than 42% Glyphosate. $14/gal.... you want to sell a few gallons? .

When I mentioned reformulate, I meant the manufacturer, not the farmer.

 

[jblnut]

I tend to get a bit preachy when it comes to chem stuff online as there is a ton of mis information and just plain ol bad stuff and rumors out there.

Never heard of anything greater than 42% Glyphosate. $14/gal.... you want to sell a few gallons? .

When I mentioned reformulate, I meant the manufacturer, not the farmer.

I won’t have much left this year. I started with 7 totes and only have a partial left. Free shipping over $5k usually and over $50k you get free shipping AND a free hat !!

 

[benz66]

Never heard 'Dark of the Moon' thing. Interesting.

Some "farmer's almanacs" will give you days "best for killing weeds". They work. I never used to believe it, but after years of mixed results, I tracked result to moon phase, and it works. Grampa and his predecessors had wisdom we have lost. Live and learn... I still am.

Ever wonder why some stumps sprout and others of the same species don't? I did. Grampa had the answer all along, but I didn't pay attention when I was little. Took me listening to a friend who did all the gardening by the moon. Then dredging up long forgotten memories to put it together, after the bank gave me an almanac with "best days for killing weeds."

 

[benz66]

I tend to get a bit preachy when it comes to chem stuff online as there is a ton of mis information and just plain ol bad stuff and rumors out there.



I won’t have much left this year. I started with 7 totes and only have a partial left. Free shipping over $5k usually and over $50k you get free shipping AND a free hat !!
View attachment 1183648

Wow! $50,000 for a cap! And I thought the ones at the minor league ballpark were stupid expensive! I think I'll order twice for 2 $50,000 caps!

 

[jblnut]

Wow! $50,000 for a cap! And I thought the ones at the minor league ballpark were stupid expensive! I think I'll order twice for 2 $50,000 caps!

This is this years cap. Last years has been worn and trashed already. I’m not sure what the $100,000 level item is. Hope never to find out

 

[farmer steve]

Never heard of anything greater than 42% Glyphosate. $14/gal.... you want to sell a few gallons? .

When I mentioned reformulate, I meant the manufacturer, not the farmer.

I've been buying this. Around $50 for a 2.5 gallon jug.

 

[Seachaser]

FIRST, thanks for all the suggestions!

*Just to be clear* - I don't want to nuke everything in the area I spray, including the trees I'm trying to save, so I'm thinking that Roundup/glyphosate isn't the way to go... but then again, there may be a targeted way to apply it safely without killing every living/growing thing in the area.

I'm gathering that Crossroad is a way (though $$) to kill the ivy without killing everything in the area? "Targeted" killing of undesirable things, without exposing myself to poison ivy/oak/whatever is what I'm trying to achieve.

Thank you.

Roundup will not kill a mature tree, but 2-4-D can kill stuff like pecans.

 

[MPF]

I tend to get a bit preachy when it comes to chem stuff online as there is a ton of mis information and just plain ol bad stuff and rumors out there.



I won’t have much left this year. I started with 7 totes and only have a partial left. Free shipping over $5k usually and over $50k you get free shipping AND a free hat !!
View attachment 1183648

Question: do you add a surfactant to your glyphosate?? TIA

 

[farmer steve]

Question: do you add a surfactant to your glyphosate?? TIA

Yes and anti-foam.

 

[jblnut]

Question: do you add a surfactant to your glyphosate?? TIA

Yes. I add AMS (ammonium sulfate), sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate and whatever else is in Dawn Platinum dish soap lol. Dawn helps with surfactant things and keeps my sprayer squeaky clean !! Plus I can more easily see the spray from the nozzles and if one is plugged. Someone suggested it a while back and I laughed but tried it anyway. It works great !!

 

[Mad Professor]

Yes. I add AMS (ammonium sulfate), sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate and whatever else is in Dawn Platinum dish soap lol. Dawn helps with surfactant things and keeps my sprayer squeaky clean !! Plus I can more easily see the spray from the nozzles and if one is plugged. Someone suggested it a while back and I laughed but tried it anyway. It works great !!

Dawn is expensive. I buy the big Ajax bottles at HD, for dishes and to wash off PI too.

 

[jblnut]

Dawn is expensive. I buy the big Ajax bottles at HD, for dishes and to wash off PI too.

I add 32oz to a 1,000gal tank which is very close to 1/2oz per acre or around $0.08/acre. It doesn't take much. I'll spray almost 2,000 acres for myself and neighbors and I think I spent $150 at Sam's Club on Dawn this spring. I almost have more expense in the water in each tank than the dish soap.

A short squirt in a 5gal pail is all you need. If you're using enough Dish soap annually to notice the difference between Dawn and the cheap stuff you're using way to much soap. Either that or the lighter soaps aren't as powerful. I've tried the dollar store stuff in the sprayer and it seems to work fine but I need to use another 50% or so to keep the filters and nozzles as clean. Did that last year and it ended up being more $$/acre than using the expensive Dawn.

 

[kenmbz]

I also do the cut at the base after the PI goes dormant for winter. Never watched the moon phase though.
Removed hundreds of vines that way.
I have many 1+ inch thick vines, it took over a year before they were fully dry.
I just used a machete where I had access and cut downward trying not to get any splatter. Take a chunk out of the hairy vine about 6-8 inches off the ground.

So far I have not had any get on me, wearing hat, safety glasses and skin covering.

Wash the machete in warm water after covering with Dawn/Palmolive dish washing soap or similar.
Then wash me up with Palmolive and cool water.

Hat and gloves into wash.

Have to do this every year, birds love to spread the seeds from my neighbors vines. But at least they are smaller now.

Tried all kinds of glypho where I could paint the leaves. too, that works, but is slow and need to be careful to not get it on any other plants and look for weather with no rain in forecast for a few days.

I am real sensitive to PI, especially after I got slapped in the face by a vine that was within some leaves on a shag bark hickory. was wearing the safety glasses, could see the outline as my face went big. That vine did not survive the day!

 

[Mad Professor]

I also do the cut at the base after the PI goes dormant for winter. Never watched the moon phase though.
Removed hundreds of vines that way.
I have many 1+ inch thick vines, it took over a year before they were fully dry.
I just used a machete where I had access and cut downward trying not to get any splatter. Take a chunk out of the hairy vine about 6-8 inches off the ground.

So far I have not had any get on me, wearing hat, safety glasses and skin covering.

Wash the machete in warm water after covering with Dawn/Palmolive dish washing soap or similar.
Then wash me up with Palmolive and cool water.

Hat and gloves into wash.

Have to do this every year, birds love to spread the seeds from my neighbors vines. But at least they are smaller now.

Tried all kinds of glypho where I could paint the leaves. too, that works, but is slow and need to be careful to not get it on any other plants and look for weather with no rain in forecast for a few days.

I am real sensitive to PI, especially after I got slapped in the face by a vine that was within some leaves on a shag bark hickory. was wearing the safety glasses, could see the outline as my face went big. That vine did not survive the day!

I never let them get to vines at my place, if I see ANY, it gets nuked ASAP.