Cathy Isom has a little change for you in today’s program. She lets you know some ways to kill poison ivy naturally. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Poison ivy is an obnoxious plant, but don’t despair if it pops up in your space. Some poison ivy plants are vines that climb on trees or your house. Others are bush varieties. There are ways of getting rid of it using natural methods. One example is combining one cup of salt and one gallon of vinegar. Put the mix in a spray bottle.
Spray the leaves and stem of the poison ivy plant until droplets fall off of the leaves. The leaves will take a few days to wither and then the plant will die. Be careful not to spray other garden plants as it will kill them as well.
Another natural way is getting a goat. Goats eat poison ivy and can eat it without getting any ill effects.
Scalding ivy with boiling water also works best when the plants are near a sidewalk or rock path.
One way to get rid of poison ivy quickly is to yank the sucker out. This, however, is also the most dangerous way, in terms of getting a rash. To protect yourself, wear long pants tucked into boots, and a long-sleeved shirt. Make sure you have no skin showing. Wear leather or cotton gloves, not latex, which may soak up the oils. Eye protection is also a good idea.
I’m Cathy Isom…