We have an ornamental apple tree that has poison ivy branches an inch thick growing amongst its branches. I’d like to save the tree. Any tips?

We purchased a foreclosed home that had been sitting empty for almost two years. Apparently, the yard had not been tended for much longer than that. We have an ornamental apple tree (crabapple?) that has poison ivy branches an inch thick growing amongst its branches. I’d like to save the tree, but a professional from a local gardening company advised we cut it down. I’m terribly allergic to poison ivy, so climbing up in there is out of the question. Any tips?

— Barbara Dodson
Kansas City, Missouri

In Poison Ivy and Poison Oak: Identification, Irradication and Home Remedies, Sandra Dark suggests killing poison ivy by hoeing or mowing it. The article also includes several tips for managing an outbreak if you get poison ivy on your skin. But the large poison ivy vine you have on your tree requires a more intensive approach.

Be sure to wear appropriate protective gear: rubber boots and gloves, a hat, goggles or faceshield and long pants. Start by clipping the stem of the vine with a long-handled pruning shears. Then, using a long-handled tool (maybe a channel-lock wrench), pull the stump if you can. If not, hoe off any new shoots as they grow.

The vine in the tree will die after the main stem has been cut. Rake up the leaves after they fall, being careful to wear the same protective gear. Do not burn the leaves or stems, as the smoke can cause severe allergic reactions when inhaled.

In winter, trim as much of the dead vines as you care to, remembering that touching even these dead vines could cause a reaction.

— Troy Griepentrog, senior associate editor

Comments

Jutta Surovic 10/25/2009 7:38:27 AM

I have killed sucessfully poisen ivy with following receipt: 1 gallon of water plus 3 pounds of salt plus dishdetergent. I heat the water so the salt disolves well. Then I add plenty of dishdetergent. The dishdetergent will get penetrate the oily coat of the poison ivy and the salt will burn the leaves. I put the mixture in a handsprayer, that way I can aim at the poison ivy. Repeat it 1 to 2 times afterwards. Just be careful not to hit other plants. It is a general weedkiller. The poison ivy will dry out and then is easy to remove. But still wear protective gear. In the matter of skin irritation, Jewelweed will nutrulize the poison ivy.Crush leafes and stems and rubb it on your skin and clothing what have been effected.

Add Your Comment

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.

Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.

Name*

Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*

This will be your login ID.

City	State	Zip Code

Password*

Confirm Password*

Have you signed up before?
Please log in before you enter your comment.

E-mail Address

Password

Forgot your password?

Comments

Ask your question, get an answer:

Question:

Name:
City:		State:

Email:

Comments

Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.

Your name appears next to your comment.

This will be your login ID.

1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)

Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.

Ask your question, get an answer: