Poison Ivy in Hosta Bed

11 years ago

Well, I have to admit, this is the first time I've ever had Poison Ivy in any landscape I've ever owned.

So, I admit to being a complete newb to this issue.

I don't know if I'm even allergic to it, and frankly I don't want to find out.

It's growing right smack in the middle of my hosta bed. I'm a little afraid to get out and find out if its roots are amongst a hosta.

I have RoundUp and I have a Brush Killer. I know I'm supposed to wear gloves and long pants. Watched those vids. It's a small vine.

So, do I spray it, then dig it out? Or spray it and leave it alone?

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Comments (10)

Steve Massachusetts
11 years ago
Pull it and leave a small piece where it has rooted. Then get out your mustard bottle and give it a few drops of undiluted Roundup on the cut surface of that piece.

Steve
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
rubber gloves...

expensive applicator at link.. fill with full strength.. either...

clip to ground.. apply one drop...come back in one month ...

repeat until dead..

root can stay toxic for a year or two... or so i heard.. do NOT burn refuse

wash clippers with hot water and dawn while you have the gloves on.. its an oil...

ken

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bkay2000
11 years ago
I wouldn't mess with roundup, I would go straight for the brush killer. (I'm sure Steve knows better than I do, but when it comes to poison ivy, I want the bazooka, not the .22)

Also, the dead parts will break you out (if you're allergic) just as much as the live parts. My DH is so allergic that he can get a reaction from touching the dog who has touched the poison ivy. So, make sure the dog doesn't get into it. Fortunately, I'm not allergic, yet.

bkay
thisismelissa
Original Author
11 years ago
Ok, I could not wait for responses.
I went out, found the vine... about 3 feet long. Had not re-rooted at nodes at all. YAY.

The root was about 4 inches from the base of Fire Island. I figure that one is easy to replace, so I spared no roots. Straight down.

Took it straight to the asphault driveway to cook it. I'll treat it in the morning. I never got closer than 2 feet to the thing.

But,I noticed something on this plant I didn't see in pics. There were barbs/thorns on the stem.

So, I looked it up and it appears it's NOT poison ivy as PI NEVER has thorns/barbs.

YAY!
ci_lantro
11 years ago
Thorns? Prolly a wild raspberry. Just about as bad as poison ivy, IMO. I get them all over the place.
mosswitch
11 years ago
There are several three leaved things that look like poison ivy, even virginia creeper new growth at the ends of the vines only have three leaves and fool you sometimes. With thorns I agree it was probably raspberry.

When I run into poison ivy, the real stuff, as I am highly allergic to it, I take a plastic bag (bread wrapper or newspaper wrapper usually work pretty well; put it over my arm and hand like a glove, and pull it out. Then turn the bag inside out over the vine with the vine inside the bag, tie it off and toss it in the trash. Then I never have to deal with dead or dying poison ivy. If I don't get all the root, I treat it with a drop of weed killer if I can find the end of it.

As long as there is only a plant or two, I can deal with it, but old mature plants take cutting at the base of the plant and treating with brush killer. Then I let somebody braver than me that isn't allergic to it deal with the cut off plant! And just because a poison ivy plant is dead does not mean you can't get it, the oils remain in the tissues for a long time.

Roots are horrible, I got the worst case of poison ivy I ever had, digging wildflowers in a woodsy patch. It was early in the spring and the stuff hadn't leafed out yet, and I didn't see it.

Now I take the precaution of scrubbing my hands with Technu after I think I've been in contact with it.

Sandy
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
Ok, I could not wait for responses.

==>>> well.. what was the point of asking then.. lol ...

and give us a pic.. and get an ID.. next time.. before you freak out ...

ken
Cricket_Love
11 years ago
I'd like to know what it is as well because I've been pulling that stuff up all over my garden. It's not raspberry that I have, because I have that evil stuff as well (grrr). The leaves of this are rather pretty, but the thorns are vicious!
mosswitch
11 years ago
Wild rose? Another possibility with nasty thorns is cat brier (smilax) but it doesn't have three leaves. Wild rose has three to five leaves.

Sandy
hosta_freak
11 years ago
I don't have poison ivy in my hosta garden,but it sure grows all over my woods. I do know what it looks like,and I use round-up on it all the time,and it works. There is no more poison ivy anywhere where I go in my woods,but farther out,I just leave it. If anyone wants to sneak around on my property in the summer,they do it at their own risk! I sure aren't going to tell them where it is! And yes,I am alergic to it! Phil