How to Kill Poison Ivy


It is important to note that poison ivy is extremely difficult to kill. In order for the poison ivy plant to die, you must elimiate the whole plant. Poison Ivy is a perennial plant. This means it grows back each year and the roots spread underneath the ground.


There are several ways to kill Poison Ivy:


 Herbicides: Killing poision ivy with herbicides is the most effective and safest way because you do not have to come in contact with the poison ivy. However, you must pick the right pesticides else you are just wasting your money. Over the last few years, we have tried various herbicides. One herbicide that is very popular is called Roundup. Roundup has Glysophate in it which is supposed to kill everything. However, we did not get the results we wanted with Roundup.


The Secret to killing Poison Ivy with herbicides


TZone SE Broadleaf Herbicide has given us the best results. TZone has killed Poison Ivy within 7 days of spraying it. TZone contains three ingrediants that work together to kill a poison ivy plant. These three active ingrediants are Triclopyr, Sulfentrazone, and 2,4-D. 


Lets compare Roundup with TZone. 


Roundup Concentrate that is specifically made for poison ivy contains 18% Glyphosate and 2% Triclopyr.


TZone contains 29.32% 2,4-D, 7.7% Triclopyr, and .66% Sulfentrazone. These ingredients all are used to kill tough broadleaf weeds.


TZone is by far the superior Poison Ivy Killer. To spray TZone effectively you will need a few things. 


First, you will need a sprayer. Since Poison Ivy is normally found in the woods, a backpack sprayer is necessary to carry the herbicide around. We use the Chapin Pro Series Backpack Sprayer. It is cheap and is built very well.


Secondly, you will need Nitrile Chemical Resistant Gloves to because if TZone comes in contact with your skin, you could experience rashes. 


Thirdly, you will want to mix the TZone with a non-ionic surfactant. Only one table spoon of non-ionic surfactant is needed, and it is very cheap. We use Southern Ag Surfactant for Herbicides. Surfactants help the herbicide stick to the plant. This is extremely important for poison ivy because poison ivy has waxy leaves and the herbicide will just run off the plant.


Numerous customer have asked me how to kill Poison Ivy the fastest. I always tell them what you have just read above.


Pull by hand:  Be sure to wear gloves when removing poison ivy, as any skin contact will leave you with red rashes all over.  The gloves that are used should be disposable and cannot be reused. When we get rid of poison ivy, we wear Nitrile Chemical Resistant Gloves. It is also important that you wear a long sleeve shirt and pants with tennis shoes. You do not want any part of your body to directly come in contact with your skin. Pull the poison ivy slowly out of the ground, to ensure you pull out the whole root. If the ground is too hard to pull the poison ivy out, pour some water over the area to loosen the soil up. After you are done pulling the poison ivy, be sure to pull your gloves off with touching the outside of the gloves. Put your clothes in a washer, without any other affected clothes. You will have to touch your clothes to take them off, so be sure to take a shower directly after and wash yourself with soap.



DO NOT burn Poison Ivy: If you burn poison ivy and breathe the fumes, it can have serious health consequences. Yes, it may seem like the easy thing to do, but avoid burning poison ivy at all costs. Many people make the mistake of burning “dead” poison ivy plants. Even though the poison ivy is dead, the oil remains on the leaves and roots for over a year. If you inhale the smoke from poison ivy, a rash will appear on the lining of your lungs. This can cause intense pain and can close up a person’s lungs.