Eliza

Thank you for reaching out to the UVM Extension Master Gardener Program with your question! Your photo verified (for me) that you are dealing with an infestation of poison ivy.

Eradicating any aggressive perennial, like poison ivy, poses a challenge to the home gardener. Poison ivy is a native to Vermont, and our birds enjoy their fruits, which only help to spread the plants/vines.

Poison ivy will not tolerate repeated tillage, cutting or mowing. Continually clipping the plant at or near ground level during the year for several years will eventually control the plant. Poison ivy shoots commonly encroach from wooded areas into newly established lawns. Herbicide use is not usually necessary since frequent mowing will eliminate the plant from the lawn. To prevent future encroachment, poison ivy should be controlled in the adjacent wooded area.

Digging out poison ivy plants and roots can be used as a control method. Waterproof gloves, long sleeved shirts, and pants should always be worn when handling poison ivy plants (including the roots) to prevent contact with the “poison” or urushiol. I would also suggest eye and face protection if you are sensitive to the urushiol. I find wearing safety glasses and a mask helpful, so I don’t accidentally touch my face.

Urushiol can bind to garden tools, pet hair, and clothing for long periods of time. If your skin comes in contact with the plant, you have about 15 minutes before it bonds to your skin, so immediate flushing with water is suggested.

Discard the ivy debris in a heavy, sealed garbage bag, to the trash. Do not burn or compost the ivy.

Send your clothes to the laundry. And don’t forget to wash all your tools with alcohol once you’ve completed the job.

Another method for poison ivy removal is seeking the assistance from a goat or sheep. They are able to eat the foliage without harm, but the roots will still be viable. You should be able to cover and smother or easily dig them up the left-over roots once the animals eat the foliage, following the safety guidance above.

Another method I’ve used successfully used to eradicate invasives, is the cover and smother method. Granted, this takes time and patience, but there is no contact, and no harmful chemicals involved. You cover the poison ivy with a piece of thick-heavy cardboard for small areas or a large opaque tarp for larger areas. Weigh down the cover with wood chips, rocks, or secure it with stakes since it is a creeping plant (I’ve even used hay bales). Leave in position for eight weeks or longer. Check after that to see that there is no new growth appearing.

You can use herbicides to eradicate poison ivy, but this is a very complicated task. Timing has to be right, or you risk killing pollinators and all other plants in the area. If the application is not done properly, there could be drift which could affect your neighbor’s yard and gardens. And generally, multiple applications are required to eradicate the ivy.

If you do choose to go the herbicide route, please seek professional assistance and reach out to a license pesticide applicator in your area. 

References: 

https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2018/08/what-can-i-do-get-rid-poison-ivy-my-yard  

https://www.uvm.edu/news/extension/poison-ivy-troublesome-native  

https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C867-10&title=controlling-poison-ivy-in-the-landscape  

https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/weeds/poison-ivy.htm  

I do hope you have found this information useful!