Acres of Poison Ivy

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

You can rent goats in many areas. Where do you live?
Goats to Go article

I know goats are rentable but my dogs are free range and I don’t doubt for a second they wouldn’t jump the goats or fight any guard dog that comes with them.
it really sounds like a lot more work for me then it might be worth.
I live in central AR

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Real Sumac (the kind you get the spice from used in some Mediterranean cooking)
View attachment 2660674

Poison Sumac (you don't want to be eating this). Note radically different fruit/berry cluster. This **IS** an odd pinnate, but its always got 9 or 11 leaves - the one at the end, and then either four or five pair down the stem. The red tot he stem is characteristic, but sometimes unreliable.

Your picture has SEVEN. I counted. The one at the end plus three pairs down the stem, and I saw no red.


View attachment 2660678

It seems to be common that poison plants tend to have those red stems. At least with the sumac and ivy

 

[jonalisa]

I know goats are rentable but my dogs are free range and I don’t doubt for a second they wouldn’t jump the goats or fight any guard dog that comes with them.
it really sounds like a lot more work for me then it might be worth.
I live in central AR

Well, according to this article: "The staff at Great Rock brings about 10 goats to a property, puts up an electrified fence and lets the goats loose to do what they do best: eat. It could take a few hours or a week for them to clear a whole property, depending on the size of the land and the density of the brush."

So possibly you'd have to confine your dogs temporarily, but it seems a small price to pay to have the stuff cleared, no?

 

[MissE]

Well, according to this article: "The staff at Great Rock brings about 10 goats to a property, puts up an electrified fence and lets the goats loose to do what they do best: eat. It could take a few hours or a week for them to clear a whole property, depending on the size of the land and the density of the brush."

So possibly you'd have to confine your dogs temporarily, but it seems a small price to pay to have the stuff cleared, no?

Beautiful thing about an electric fence, even a very high prey drive dog doesn't want to touch it twice. Just ask mine.

I agree, renting goats is the way to go, and if the dogs do end up needing confinement for a few days, so be it.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

You have quite the variety there. 90% of it is Virginia Creeper and other various climbing plants and look alikes. The plant you assumed was poison ivy is indeed poison ivy. The second photo is likely poison oak. The unknown plant is likely a sapling of some type of ash. Or something. What type of trees are above? Many of those plants look alike too, but it's not poison sumac atleast. The "poison" plants will be easier to identify once they get their berries. Poison ivy and poison sumac and stuff will have cream colored pearly looking berries. Almost transparent.. Its a beautiful place. Id hate to think of PI killers potentially destroying the good stuff along with the bad stuff. Unfortunately weedeating won't help and will potentially make it worse slinging the seeds around. Derooting it and being slow and gentle is the safest option. Perhaps hubby will be up for picking the for sure poison ivy? Unfortunately goats aren't a great option either. They will poop it right back out and germinate more.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

You have quite the variety there. 90% of it is Virginia Creeper and other various climbing plants and look alikes. The plant you assumed was poison ivy is indeed poison ivy. The second photo is likely poison oak. The unknown plant is likely a sapling of some type of ash. Or something. What type of trees are above? Many of those plants look alike too, but it's not poison sumac atleast. The "poison" plants will be easier to identify once they get their berries. Poison ivy and poison sumac and stuff will have cream colored pearly looking berries. Almost transparent.. Its a beautiful place. Id hate to think of PI killers potentially destroying the good stuff along with the bad stuff. Unfortunately weedeating won't help and will potentially make it worse slinging the seeds around. Derooting it and being slow and gentle is the safest option. Perhaps hubby will be up for picking the for sure poison ivy? Unfortunately goats aren't a great option either. They will poop it right back out and germinate more.

I never thought about going in and uprooting it but that sounds like something worth doing to eliminate some of it. Maybe with some rain it will all uproot easier. I’ve seen some posts of people suggesting painting the poison ivy leaves with a brush so that way only the ivy goes. Really the hard part is being able to work together as a team to tackle it since our 15 month old either wants to be involved or decides she’s taking off into the woods for a solo adventure.

 

[jonalisa]

You have quite the variety there. 90% of it is Virginia Creeper and other various climbing plants and look alikes. The plant you assumed was poison ivy is indeed poison ivy. The second photo is likely poison oak. The unknown plant is likely a sapling of some type of ash. Or something. What type of trees are above? Many of those plants look alike too, but it's not poison sumac atleast. The "poison" plants will be easier to identify once they get their berries. Poison ivy and poison sumac and stuff will have cream colored pearly looking berries. Almost transparent.. Its a beautiful place. Id hate to think of PI killers potentially destroying the good stuff along with the bad stuff. Unfortunately weedeating won't help and will potentially make it worse slinging the seeds around. Derooting it and being slow and gentle is the safest option. Perhaps hubby will be up for picking the for sure poison ivy? Unfortunately goats aren't a great option either. They will poop it right back out and germinate more.

No, they will not poop it out and germinate more because poison ivy does not have seeds

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Well, according to this article: "The staff at Great Rock brings about 10 goats to a property, puts up an electrified fence and lets the goats loose to do what they do best: eat. It could take a few hours or a week for them to clear a whole property, depending on the size of the land and the density of the brush."

I agree, renting goats is the way to go, and if the dogs do end up needing confinement for a few days, so be it.

The main issue is that renting goat will be a constant thing until the plant is so starved it does repopulate since the root is still there waiting to put out more leaves.
I’ve honestly never hated a plant or area so much before as I do living here and it’s realllllly hard to get over how amazing this place could be but the stupid ivy season ruins it

 

[Isadora]

Really the hard part is being able to work together as a team to tackle it since our 15 month old either wants to be involved or decides she’s taking off into the woods for a solo adventure.

Nap time! My husband and I always schedule projects we do together when the kids are all sleeping in the afternoon.

 

[Mishyk]

Some farms exist that come stake out goats on your property to eat the poison ivy and underbrush. Basically Rent-a-Goat.