http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vinegar-for-poison-ivy.html
Vinegar for Poison Ivy
The land around our home is overrun with poison ivy. It is
everywhere; a vine has even wrapped abundantly around the tree
that holds the end of the clothesline so we can’t fix the rope pulley that is broken there. After a few years of passively
accepting that I can’t hang clothes on the line, or that
various family members get terrible rashes every summer, I’ve
decided to do something about the scourge.
I won’t ever use herbicides out of concern for health and the environment, so I’ve been trying out various “down home” remedies. This one really works.
Before I tell you about what I’ve found that works, let me
tell you of another alternative solution to herbides: 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:
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.
More from Annie B. Bond (3249 articles available)
related stories
-
(36 comments)
-
-
(19 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
15 comments
add your comment »A friend of mine gave me a nasty idea that may actually improve this.
She suggested cutting the vines, and dabbing diluted Roundup on the cut ends so that it would get drawn into the entire plant and kill it.
Do you think this would work with this formula? It wouldn't risk the surrounding vegetation, and poison ivy rarely grows alone.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Never thought of that
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Why do you need the vinegar? A solution of salt water will kill almost any type of vegetation. The detergent would act as a surfactant and allow the salt water to get to more places; but what does the vinegar do. Without the vinegar; the poison ivy should die . Just wondered.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
It's hard to spray and only hit the plant you want to kill. If you don't want to spray and you don't mind chemicals, you can use a method called "stump painting." You cut the plant close to the ground and paint the part sticking up with the weed killer of choice. The poison is drawn down into the roots as well.It might work with bleach, too! I'd be interested in hearing about results.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I just sprayed the vinegar, salt and detergent solution. How long til I see results?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I just sprayed the salt, vinegar and detergent solution on the poison ivy. How long til I see results?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Poison ivy just starting to emerge. We dug up a root that is YELLOW. Does anyone know what poison ivy roots look like? I cannot find any pictures on the internet.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
When you drill the hole and dump in the salt and vinegar, does it kill the shrub or tree that the ivy is climbing up, too.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I don't consider Colorx to be a herbicide, though some mey disagree. I drilled a hole to the root of the poison Ivy and poured one cup of salt and 1/2 gallon bleach in the hole. It killed the root. Do not mix the two together. Pour the salt into the hole first and then pour the bleach in. It works! Please comment with your results. Also, spray your yard with Dawn Dish detergent, and Pine Sol. Equal amounts of both. Use a sprayer bottel hooked to your hose. This mixture takes care of fleas, beetles, and destroys ant hills. It also makes your grass greener, is safe on your flowers and plants, and your yard will smell great.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I have a poison ivy vine that is taking over the shubbery right under my bedroom window. I tried the vinegar, salt and dish detergent(Dawn0, and it works. Like the others I am now concerned with the root. This may or may not be a good idea, but it works. I put a cup of salt into a gallon of bleach and poured it on the ground where the root is, and all the little new grown. It killed the root and the new growth that I missed with the other formula. Any comments will be helpful.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: