How to Nip Poison Ivy in the Bud

Spring is one of the very best and easiest times to rid your land of poison ivy in a safe, environmentally friendly way.

The key is catching the plant when the leaves are new and shiny.

Here is an easy formula for killing new poison ivy growth using simple kitchen cupboard ingredients:

Soap has been used for centuries as an all-purpose herbicide.

Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food stores have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soaps.

Soap Spray

4 tablespoons liquid soap
1 quart water

Combine ingredients in a bucket, mix, then transfer to a spray bottle as needed.

Note that this recipe will kill neighboring vegetation also, so focus the spray on the poison ivy.

Here is another alternative solution to herbicides: Goats! For some reason, Spanish and Angora goat breeds absolutely love poison ivy. Make sure you get those particular breeds; most others don’t like poison ivy for their main meal. I would love to have goats, but my family won’t let me… !

Here is the homemade poison ivy vegetation killer spray that I’ve found is safe and effective if you are reading this when the leaves are no longer shiny:

Poison Ivy Vegetation Killer
1 cup salt
8 drops liquid detergent
1 gallon vinegar

Combine the salt and vinegar in a pan and heat to dissolve the salt. Cool the vinegar, add the detergent, and pour some of the liquid into a large spray bottle. Spray the vegetation. (You can also just pour the mixture onto the weeds.) Refill the spray bottle as necessary. Note that this formula will kill all the vegetation, so make sure that you are only spraying the plants you want to kill. If you need to use a lot of this spray, avoid spraying it near wells, as the salt can leach into your water supply.

Read more: Nature, Natural Pest Control

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Sheri P.

5:18PM PST on Dec 26, 2011

Thanks for the tips! I have some poison ivy growing in the back yard and hope to tackle it when spring rolls around!

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Past Member .

7:06AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

thanks

Robert O.

11:52AM PDT on Sep 17, 2011

Thanks Annie.

11:54PM PDT on Sep 5, 2010

I found 28 poison ivy plants with shiny leaves in my front yard this afternoon. I tried to get rid of them by locating the root system as a whole, but soon ran into a cross root system. I decided I did not want to dig up my front yard, so I will try the soap solution on the. I know the Dawn detergent and water combination works on fire ants and spiders.

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Christy P.

2:43PM PDT on Jul 16, 2010

Where can i buy liquid detergent?

Lori A.

3:35AM PDT on Jun 15, 2010

Great article, thanks for sharing!

Kelly T.

2:33PM PDT on Apr 22, 2010

I love the Ivy killing solution! It did kill grass growing around the ivy but I was so happy I didn't have to pull it all from my yard! Thank You!

Aletta K.

2:53PM PDT on Mar 17, 2010

I love the goat solution , however there might be a by-law against keeping live stock !!

NO EMAILS P.

1:00AM PST on Feb 7, 2010

Jill E.

9:38AM PDT on May 30, 2008

We have poison ivy vines in our yard this year with HUGE leaves---I've never seen them this large in my entire life!
Which natural solution IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE?
I am highly allergic so pulling is not an alternative for me!