Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
chutes_gw

Burning poison ivy

chutes
15 years ago

Hello-

First post here. Did a quick search on burning poison ivy, but did not see any results. I have a large fire pit in the yard, and significant poison ivy growth all around the perimeter of the yard. I'm planning on cutting it all back this year and clearing around the nice trees that grow there. My question is 2 parts:

1. If I do this in late winter, is it okay to touch these plants while they are dead (or is dormant a better word?)?

2. Is it okay to burn the clippings if the plants are still dead/dormant, or is it possible that the smoke form poison ivy plants could cause irritation, etc.?

Thanks

Comments (9)

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    15 years ago

    You can still get the rash from handling dormant plants in winter, and the smoke from burning poison ivy can cause a reaction in either you or your downwind neighbors.

  • maifleur01
    15 years ago

    To h*ll with a reaction you can breath in the oils in the smoke and get bad lung problem. Fellow employee's husband did not believe what I told her and burned anyway. He was the raker she the fire tender. She was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. He only got a small patch on his face. She was on steroids for along time afterward.

  • mmqchdygg
    15 years ago

    We had a major problem with PI when we built our house (in the middle of an unused orchard). The trees and area all around them was filled with it. The best 'treatment' we found was to simply keep the area mowed. PI doesn't grow where it's well maintained. I'd say it was gone within 2 seasons.

    Having said that, we HAVE had to treat several infested trees with Roundup...just don't do it on a breezy day. Otherwise, the ground areas are taken care of; it's just the vines up in the trees that remains a problem.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    15 years ago

    chutes, if you do a GOOGLE search on 'burning poison ivy', you'll come up with all kinds of important information.

  • Kimmsr
    15 years ago

    No one with any intelligence would tell you that burning Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, or Poison Sumac is a good thing to do. Every source of information, that I have seen in the last 55 years years has said "Do Not Burn" these "weeds".
    While I often tell people that they should not ever send any organic matter off their property, adn all the organic matter that property generates (and more) should be recycled on premises, these are the exception to the rule. Bag this stuff up tightly and, after labeling send it out. Be sure if put in your trash the people that pick up you trash, or otherwise handle it, know what is in that bag.

  • zdaisy201_yahoo_com
    12 years ago

    My question is if u cut it down and its dead can u burn it? I found no info on that @ all. We cut the ivy weeks ago and its dried up.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    12 years ago

    No. Bad. Never burn PI at all. No.

  • soitgoes
    12 years ago

    The irritant in poison ivy is essentially an oil.

    Go dump some olive oil on a shirt.

    Now let the shirt sit around for a few months to "dry out."

    Question for the person doing the laundry: Is the oil still there?

    Try this experiment and that will answer your question about when it becomes "safe" to burn poison ivy. :)

    Never, ever, ever burn it unless you want a lungful of poison ivy fumes.

  • ralleia
    12 years ago

    No, you cannot burn it even if it is dead and dried up. The urisiol is an organic oil that causes the reaction, and it can stay reactive for at least ONE YEAR.

    My father unwittingly threw a dried up woody piece of it into the burnpile last year (I tried to tell him that it looked like ivy.) The smoke wafted in my direction and I had to go on steroids to control the reaction. Burning vaporizes the oil and anyone downwind, even far away can be exposed. I've even heard of someone who lost part of lung through inhalation.

    NEVER, EVER burn poison ivy.

    Put it in a heavy-duty plastic bag, securely tie it and dispose of it in the trash.

    The oils in your dried up ivy are still VERY MUCH reactive. If you must prove it to yourself, crumple up some of the dried leaf and rub it into a portion of your body that you don't mind welting up and itching for a couple weeks.

Sponsored
SK Interiors
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars49 Reviews
Loudoun County's Top Kitchen & Bath Designer I Best of Houzz 2014-2022