Help!!! - need to get rid of Poison Ivy/Poison Oak naturally

[dragonlaurel]

There is poison ivy growing on the fence line where I need to plant. My garden is too small to let an otherwise great spot go to waste. I was going to use this fence to support food plants and maybe even grapes, then realized what that vine was...

This is an organic garden, so no chemical herbicides are allowed.

We are in the city, so they wont allow goats.

Will rubber gloves be enough protection to pull it? Does it come back much? Would really heavy mulch keep it from coming back?

My husband is allergic to it. Will veggies grown near there get contaminated with the poison ivy and break him out? Sorry about having so many questions, but I grew up not reacting to it. So, I never really bothered to learn much about it. Thanks.

 

[Beekissed]

There is poison ivy growing on the fence line where I need to plant. My garden is too small to let an otherwise great spot go to waste. I was going to use this fence to support food plants and maybe even grapes, then realized what that vine was...

This is an organic garden, so no chemical herbicides are allowed.

We are in the city, so they wont allow goats.

Will rubber gloves be enough protection to pull it? Does it come back much? Would really heavy mulch keep it from coming back?

My husband is allergic to it. Will veggies grown near there get contaminated with the poison ivy and break him out? Sorry about having so many questions, but I grew up not reacting to it. So, I never really bothered to learn much about it. Thanks.

Heavy rubber gloves should be protection enough but you should really wash them well in hot, soapy water afterwards to remove the oils. Make sure your skin and clothing that have been exposed to possible oils from the plant are washed well before getting anywhere near your hubby.

It may come back but just keep up with it and try to get the roots the first time around. Heavy mulch may suppress it. Your veggies should not become contaminated with it...the oils from the plant are what causes the reaction and they shouldn't be on your veggies if you pulled up the plant long before planting.

Be sure that the clothing you wear while eradicating this vine will be washed separately than your other clothing and use a good degreaser along with your detergent....vinegar or ammonia..and it wouldn't hurt to use vinegar in the rinse as well.

Happy gardening! :tools

P.S. If your hubby does come in contact with the oils and has a reaction, this can be halted or diminished a great deal by putting ACV~apple cider vinegar~on the affected areas. Helps stop itching and dries up the rash.

 

[henrietta23]

There is poison ivy growing on the fence line where I need to plant. My garden is too small to let an otherwise great spot go to waste. I was going to use this fence to support food plants and maybe even grapes, then realized what that vine was...

This is an organic garden, so no chemical herbicides are allowed.

We are in the city, so they wont allow goats.

Will rubber gloves be enough protection to pull it? Does it come back much? Would really heavy mulch keep it from coming back?

My husband is allergic to it. Will veggies grown near there get contaminated with the poison ivy and break him out? Sorry about having so many questions, but I grew up not reacting to it. So, I never really bothered to learn much about it. Thanks.

Heavy rubber gloves should be protection enough but you should really wash them well in hot, soapy water afterwards to remove the oils. Make sure your skin and clothing that have been exposed to possible oils from the plant are washed well before getting anywhere near your hubby.

It may come back but just keep up with it and try to get the roots the first time around. Heavy mulch may suppress it. Your veggies should not become contaminated with it...the oils from the plant are what causes the reaction and they shouldn't be on your veggies if you pulled up the plant long before planting.

Be sure that the clothing you wear while eradicating this vine will be washed separately than your other clothing and use a good degreaser along with your detergent....vinegar or ammonia..and it wouldn't hurt to use vinegar in the rinse as well.

Happy gardening! :tools

P.S. If your hubby does come in contact with the oils and has a reaction, this can be halted or diminished a great deal by putting ACV~apple cider vinegar~on the affected areas. Helps stop itching and dries up the rash.

That's what my DH does too. He's got a long pair of thick black "linesman's gloves". He pulls it out then immediately comes in and strips. He takes a shower with naphtha soap then washes his clothes in hot water. The vinegar rinse is a great idea too.
Can you borrow some goats?

 

[dragonlaurel]

Thank you Bee and Henrietta,
I talked to him today about it and he says he is not allergic to the stuff. I guess I remembered wrong. I grew up not reacting to poison ivy, but I'll still be cautious, since I developed other allergies since then. Washing the rubber gloves afterwards makes sense and is easy enough. A separate load of laundry is doable too. I can add the stuff to the load easily.

I was wondering about food contamination, because the ivy grows up the (chain link) fence partially. I would be planting cukes, squash and pole beans on the fence right away. Then plant grape vines on it this fall. Yeaaahh grapes!

Thanks for the tip about the vinegar.

I wish I could borrow a goat but it's in the city limits. Not allowed.

fixed typo

 

[elf]

You are sooo lucky to both not be allergic to it. But you can develop allergies at any time. Just in case, Washing with Tecnu from drugstore helps.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Thanks for the tip.