Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Taking Special Care As You Are Getting Rid Of Poison Ivy

By Becca G. Taylor

In the event that you notice a growth of poison ivy near you home or on your property you want to take care of the problem right away. You can not get rid of it just as you would any other unwanted plant. This takes special care and a fair amount of precautions. This is something you may even want to consult with a professional gardener or landscaper about.

First and foremost you need to know that you should never ever burn it. The fumes that it will give off spell big trouble. The rash that you get on your skin from touching it will actually form instead inside your lungs. Needless to say this is a very dangerous situation. You would be endangering yourself, and anyone else around you. This is certainly a warning that you want to heed.

This is a very hearty and resilient plant and you will not be able to kill it off with just anything. What you will need to use is a very strong, concentrated herbicide. Though you will dilute it some with water, it will still need to be at least three to four times as strong as normally recommended. Be very careful to not get any of it on yourself, or on any surrounding plants as any plant that it touches will die.

You need to dress appropriately to do this. Make sure to wear long pants, long sleeve shirt, and gloves. You are wanting to reduce the amount of exposed skin as much as possible. Not only do you not want to come in contact with the plant, but also the herbicide. Either one of these could give you quite a rash.

Check the weather forecast when you are planning to do this. Having fair or mild weather is very important to make sure that the task is done properly. Any rain would water down the herbicide so that it would not be as effective, if it remains effective at all. Wind poses a similar problem because it could spread the herbicide to other plants in your yard and kill them off as opposed to addressing what it was intended for.

It will actually be a few weeks after you spray that you see the results. When it dies you will notice that the leaves will shrivel and turn yellow. Then it's time to dress back up and go back out to finish the job. You will have to dig pretty deep into the soil and remove the entire plant, including the roots. Should any of the roots be left behind you can count on it all coming back.

The dead stalks and even bare branches can cause severe reactions. This is why dressing to deal with the problem is so very important. Even just a little bit can lead to a rash that is irritating and dangerous for some people.

Once the job is done you want to keep a close eye on the general area. Poison Ivy can be persistent. Even when you take care of the problem properly, it could try to come back year after year. So be sure to watch for it and be prepared to repeat the process if necessary.

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