Poison ivy is a plant that can be found in many areas of the United States. The leaves are often three to five inches long and have a shiny, waxy surface. Poison ivy grows in thick patches and has vines with small, yellowish berries. People who come into contact with poison ivy will develop an itchy rash or blisters within hours or days of exposure. In this article, we will discuss how to get rid of poison ivy without killing other plants so your yard doesn’t look like a jungle!
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Destroy Ivy: Instruction
If you want to destroy ivy, you should proceed as follows:
- Cut off all shoots and divide them.
- The roots can grow up to 23,6 inches to the ground and must be dug up
- Do not leave any fruits behind, they contain seeds so that the ivy can grow again
- Remove any shoots that may come after again
Thus, this method of removal is associated with effort, but it is the safest method of driving ivy from your own garden in the long term.
What means can be used to destroy ivy?
If you do not want to destroy all the ivy manually, you can use various means to destroy the ivy. Of course, it is important to choose the right means, because not all of them offer long-term success or are really recommended for environmental reasons.
Hot saltwater
Hot salt water can be a very effective remedy if you want to effectively destroy Hedera helix, but this remedy must be used wisely because if there are other plants growing right next to the ivy that you would like to keep, this should not be used.
The saltwater can spread in the soil, drying out not only the root of the ivy but also those of the surrounding plants. Therefore, hot salt water is only recommended if the ivy is to be destroyed in areas where no other plants are growing.
With salt
It is often advised to destroy ivy with salt, this is possible just like with hot salt water, however, you will not only harm other plants around the ivy but also the environment, because the salt, especially when it rains, gets into the soil and thus into the groundwater. Therefore, the use of salt should be avoided if you want to get rid of ivy.
Destroy ivy with vinegar?
Many people recommend the use of vinegar to destroy ivy. The acidic substance can indeed be fatal for this weed, however, it not only harms plants but also animals and other organisms that live in soil or water. That is why we do not recommend using vinegar as a means of getting rid of poison ivy.
Herbicide to get rid of poison ivy?
As an alternative to vinegar, many people use herbicides. These are usually based on glyphosate and can be purchased in garden centers or hardware stores. However, before you go out with the sprayer this summer, please note that these products also have a considerable impact on non-target organisms – especially when they are used in a home garden.
In some cases, a strong herbicide is needed to eradicate poison ivy from the soil and branches of trees or shrubs that it has been growing on for several years.
With Roundup?
Chemical agents such as Roundup can be used if you really want to destroy all the ivy. However, it should be noted that agents such as Roundup are bad for the soil and groundwater. Likewise, this agent may not reach all the roots. This leads to the fact that the ivy will sprout again after some time and then must be destroyed again.
