Ways to Stop Poison Ivy From Growing Back

**5 Minute Read Time**

Are you tired of dealing with itchy rashes from a patch of poison ivy in your yard and need to know how to stop poison ivy from growing back? Well, you are in luck! Today we will show you how to stop poison ivy in its tracks. And don’t worry, we’ll throw in some humor to keep you laughing–especially if you are reading this because you currently have poison ivy (we feel your pain). Let’s ditch the itch, and get you back to spending time outside in nature, among the plants and in the great outdoors.

1. You need to identify and mark all the ivy. Find them as three clusters, and then mark them with paint or ribbons so you know where they live.
2. Pull up the plants if you can, especially if they are small. (It is best to pull them up by the roots). Make sure you wear protective clothing and gloves while pulling them up, and seal all the up-rooted plants in a tight bag. This will prevent the skin-burning oils from spreading.
3. Use a herbicide. If the poison ivy is spreading, this is a great option. Make sure you find a product specifically designed for poison ivy–not just poison oak or a different ivy. Be careful not to kill any friendly plants in the process as well!
4. Make sure you monitor the area for further growth. Keep killing until the poison ivy stays away! You definitely don’t want an explosion of growth that gets out of control.

Poison ivy can be persistent, so you just have to be more persistent and keep using the right tools to boot it from your yard. However, wouldn’t it be better if you had some backup to help take on the poison ivy for you?

So, we know how to get rid of poison ivy. But, why does your poison ivy keep growing? Well, it’s largely because there are no preventive measures taken. And consistently taken, at that. When dealing with poison ivy, we should kill that stuff and then recruit some “body guards” to keep it away.

There are a few ways you can keep the ivy on its heels before it even touches you. Let’s review some plants that naturally keep poison ivy away.

Virginia Creeper
This plant is often mistaken for poison ivy itself, which makes it a tad confusing. This poison ivy predator climbs over and chokes the sunlight from the bad ivy.

Japanese Knotweed
This guy grows very tall, using its height to both physically box-out the poison ivy and also shade it out like the Virginia Creeper.

English Ivy
This ivy should be used with caution–it’s sort of like fighting fire with fire, as it can become very invasive. Planting English Ivy in a container or raised bed helps keep it contained, while also keeping the itchy-green out.

Barrenwort
The Barrenwort is also known as an Epimedium. It beats up poison ivy by growing low and quick to the ground, making it difficult for poison ivy to take hold and grow roots.

So that should help with some self-sustaining preventative measures. However, it is important to note that these plants should not be over-relied on. It’s still important to keep an eye out for stubborn poison ivy and root it up when small (and when it doesn’t have any enemies around).

Before the last section, what do you call a person who always gets poison ivy from climbing trees?
A rash decision maker! (Very cheesy, we know…)

A lot of people wonder if poison ivy can be Solarized, which means: Exposing them to extreme temps with a clear tarp or sheet–trapping the sun’s heat and cooking the evil weeds beneath. Unfortunately, this is not very feasible. Poison ivy leaves have a waxy coating that retains moisture and protects the plant. As a result, extreme heat is not enough to kill.

Also, poison ivy often grows in shady, dark areas well protected by bigger plants and shrubs to begin with. So Solarization is sometimes very difficult, if not impossible in the first place. Going back to the earlier parts of the blog today, using proper protection and herbicides for removal followed by some strategic plants is the best way to invest against the green monster– poison ivy.

Click here to schedule your professional consultation, get rid of those poison ivy plants, and build a beautiful backyard!!