Acres of Poison Ivy

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

There's a Cell Phone Ap - "Picture This" - free to try. I'd download it and give it a few snaps. I use it myself (its like $20 a year) walking around my property. Not 100%, and does misidentify some things, but its not awful

I’ve been using the free version of this app since you recommended it and I’ve discovered grapes growing up a cedar tree it’s along side poison ivy unfortunately by it’s there! So glad you suggested it I’m loving finding out what else it living with the PI

 

[Icebaby]

I'm in Ohio.. jewel weed grows next to poison ivy .. around mid June .. it has a tubular green stem w red base.. I take a 5 gal bucket in June .. pull out the whole jewel weed, bring them in, wash them up and put it through my juicer.. (it's like celery very fiberous).. then add to 100proof vodka (No less proof) equal amounts in canning jars .. so if you have 4 pint jars, just make them 1/4 full even of jewel weed juice then add 100proof vodka ! Adding a lil fiber back in!
(keep a jelly jars worth for next year to add to the new batch!) .. then take a paper towel and dab into stirred jewel weed/alcohol and non stop rub on your poison ivy! I don't do doctors.. the alcohol dries it and the Jewel weed is God's remedy!!
I also make it for family in pint jars leaving some of the pulp in !!

 

[Olivette]

I've heard that chemical control of poison ivy is pretty difficult without killing off everything else in the area. I suggest putting out feelers on a local FB group page or newspaper for a non-reactor (there are more of us out there than you'd think) to come pull it after a good rain. It may take multiple sessions. I tackled mine a few hours at a time over 2 springs and haven't seen any since.
Disclaimer: Mine was all on the ground, no thick vines on any of my rocks or trees. I also have locally native plants that I wanted to preserve in that area--hence avoiding chemical eradication.
Further: I have a completely wild and unfounded theory that PI sensitivity skips a generation....my mom can't even eat cashews (in the same family as Poison ivy, poison Oak and poison sumac) without getting rashy. So Here's hoping your little girl managed to dodge the sensitivity!!

And one more thing: I have seen articles about farmers who rent out their goats for clearing undesirable plants (including PI). This would prevent a permanent addition to your menagerie and save you from having to interact with the "contaminated" animals after they feast..... just a thought. Best rash-free wishes!!!!

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I'm in Ohio.. jewel weed grows next to poison ivy .. around mid June .. it has a tubular green stem w red base.. I take a 5 gal bucket in June .. pull out the whole jewel weed, bring them in, wash them up and put it through my juicer.. (it's like celery very fiberous).. then add to 100proof vodka (No less proof) equal amounts in canning jars .. so if you have 4 pint jars, just make them 1/4 full even of jewel weed juice then add 100proof vodka ! Adding a lil fiber back in!
(keep a jelly jars worth for next year to add to the new batch!) .. then take a paper towel and dab into stirred jewel weed/alcohol and non stop rub on your poison ivy! I don't do doctors.. the alcohol dries it and the Jewel weed is God's remedy!!
I also make it for family in pint jars leaving some of the pulp in !!

I’m all about the holistic approach

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I've heard that chemical control of poison ivy is pretty difficult without killing off everything else in the area. I suggest putting out feelers on a local FB group page or newspaper for a non-reactor (there are more of us out there than you'd think) to come pull it after a good rain. It may take multiple sessions. I tackled mine a few hours at a time over 2 springs and haven't seen any since.
Disclaimer: Mine was all on the ground, no thick vines on any of my rocks or trees. I also have locally native plants that I wanted to preserve in that area--hence avoiding chemical eradication.
Further: I have a completely wild and unfounded theory that PI sensitivity skips a generation....my mom can't even eat cashews (in the same family as Poison ivy, poison Oak and poison sumac) without getting rashy. So Here's hoping your little girl managed to dodge the sensitivity!!

And one more thing: I have seen articles about farmers who rent out their goats for clearing undesirable plants (including PI). This would prevent a permanent addition to your menagerie and save you from having to interact with the "contaminated" animals after they feast..... just a thought. Best rash-free wishes!!!!

Really hoping it skipped her! Especially with my husband bring a non-reactor! Everyone says she looks more like him anyways so maybe she got more of his traits

 

[DrumstickRanchTex]

I love this idea of having animals eat it!

I had goats and they ate the poison ivy. They pulled the poison ivy out by the roots. They did very well and were fat and were slick coated.

 

[Butchers Wife]

I would set up a temporary fence around a relatively small area and let chickens eat every last scrap of greenery down to the dirt and then move the fence to the adjacent area. I would start close to the house and work my way out. I would not cuddle these chickens. You can make a temporary fence with a roll of wire fencing zip tied to pound in metal posts or buy a step in poultry net fence electrified against predators. Will the poison ivy grow back? Yes, and you'll be ready and waiting with a defoliant of your choice. Everything is easier to kill after it's been weakened.

 

[canne50]

Hello everyone,

i have a bit of a predicament - well really I have acres of issues

I plan to free range my chickens but realistically we’re gonna see what happens. I’m pretty sensitive to poison ivy and really not like deadly or anything but if it touches me I’m getting it and last poison ivy I had was around my eye and on my eye lid. And let me tell you me and steroids turn straight into roid rage and my marriage was hanging on...well a thin vine
Kudos to my husband for telling me to “pull that vine off the tree!” Turns out that thick fuzzy vine was dormant poison ivy - yay me. Guess I touched my eye along the way as well now I’m horrified of the poison ivy because I have had too many poor experiences not that any experience with ivy is all that great

anyways since we started clearing the woods from large trees it seems as if we gave the right light for all the poison ivy to grow and literally take over as our natural ground cover now.
We have bought a large concentrated form of Glyphosate that we’ve treated our dog pen with and some areas around the house as our 15 month old is EXTREMELY mobile and treks through the woods tripping and falling into many patches of it and has yet to get any magically on her

however this is not the point my point is with free ranging chickens do we have to worry about their safety among the ivy?
I know all about the lovely transfer that happens when things with fur and feathers brush up against it and don’t absorb it but instead give it as a gift to the next hairless creature that loves up on them.

Would it be safe to treat our woods with Glyphosate or would be be harming the ecosystem?

I want to kill the ivy not all the birds and bees along with it.

I’ve tried to read up on other posts and I’m well aware of the other forms of herbicides that come with a little alchemy involved but if I’m taking my sweet time to spray acres I want a real kill of it and not a seasonal kill.

If we manage to not get it all would the birds be in danger?
Would it be more of a ecological hazard to spray so much area?
Would it make it impossible for any other plants to grow?
From what I’ve read on the bottle you can plant other plants in the same area after a few hours? Does this mean other species of plants might grow back or am I killing the land?

Hi!
So sorry about your predicament.
I like to let my run chickens out to free range, but don’t want them to get into certain areas. So, I bought the 6’ X 50’ plastic bird netting, those white fiberglass poles (for electric fencing ?) and poke the poles along the boundary for the chickens. It is easy to have a few inches flap turned inwards as you weave the netting onto the poles. As you are able to clear more of the p. ivy, you can adjust this very mobile barrier when you are ready. It is easy to slip off the netting, roll it up and pull the poles out, too, until you need it again. I don’t cut the length off of my netting, but fold and secure the excess with a zip tie to keep it neat. If you pull the netting taut between the posts you won’t have to secure it except with a zip tie or two at the ends. It is a very flexible and helpful addition for protecting our flock and my gardens, deck, and whatever.
Good luck and I hope you find lots of good ideas.
Regards...

 

[Marcielee]

I love this idea of having animals eat it!

Goats are the way to go. I have goats and they took care of my ivy problem.

 

[StarChicken]

Okay here’s a bunch of photos:

Virginia Creeper
View attachment 2660438

unknown to me
View attachment 2660451

what I assume is poison ivy? Could be Something else?
View attachment 2660450

Looking into the woods from the brooder my pitty is obviously blending in and the rarely every used dog pen is to the left of the photo

View attachment 2660440

unknown plant:
View attachment 2660448

whole mess of idk

View attachment 2660446

The ones with three leaves close to the top of your pics are poison ivy. The ones with five leaves are, as you've indicated, are virginia creeper.

If possible, you might spray only the ones with three leaves, but I'm not sure you can if there's poison ivy within the really thick vegetation.

We grew up with this little ditty . . .
Leaves of three
Run and flee
Leaves of five
Live and thrive

That said, I am not allergic to poison ivy, thank goodness.