School me about Poison Ivy!!

new to this monster of a weed

Re: School me about Poison Ivy!!

I get poison on me every year. I'm pretty careful, but I think that my dog must also bring it in to me.


The first thing you want to look for is leaves in groups of three. If they have 3 leaves and then 2 leaves - you don't have to worry.



in the fall they will turn colors (unlike pachysandra and other ground coverings)




If I see some I will:

1. If it's a lot - PI Round Up
2. If it's a lone vine - put on latex gloves, pull it out and put it straight into the garbage can.

After all gardening I wash up with "brown soap" but if I see that I touched some, I will immediately go and wash with brown soap.

I think brown soap is lye soap? We got a bunch from my grandfather's house when he died (he was a champion dahlia grower)

Re: School me about Poison Ivy!!

I have gotten it several times and it can be absolutely awful. I have gotten it from my dog too.

Round Up works but if possible, you're best off pulling it out. Make sure you get the roots, because it will come right back if you miss any. Cover yourself up completely and hopefully you won't get it on you in the process.

And never burn it - the oil can go into the air and you can get it in your lungs!

I loathe poison ivy and there is a ton of it in my area!

Re: School me about Poison Ivy!!

If you do pull it u, be careful about the roots/stems - they are poisonous too.

IF you do get an outbreak, don't try to tough it out with the creams - get the steroids! they are wonderful!

Re: School me about Poison Ivy!!

it will live in the summer and winter. it's the oil that is always live. Even if you use tools or a hedge trimmer or weed wacker to remove it, the oil is still on there and you can still contract it.
If you attempt to remove it and the roots, wear old clothes and socks and shoes, and just toss them when done. it's not worth the risk of touching that oil on your clothes when you go to wash them.

I fell over into a patch of poison ivy while attempting to pee (drunk) many years ago. It wasnt pretty what my *** and thighs looked like for a month.

Re: School me about Poison Ivy!!

Thanks everyone

Can my dog get it on his belly? My dog has a blister kind of bump on his belly that I never noticed. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow to be sure. It could have been there and is not PI but I didnt see it before today. And he likes to pee on trees and push his belly up against them. I googled and some sites say they can get it, some say they cant. His belly is pretty hairless right now...but would it be bothering him if it was? The pimple like/blister like thing on his belly is not bothering him at all though...so not sure what it is.

And what is brown soap and where can you buy it?

Re: School me about Poison Ivy!!

I didn't think dogs could get it - but they can give it to you if it's on their fur. I've had poison ivy rashes a few times - it's terrible. I'm so afraid of poison ivy now - we have a bunch growing in our yard. I drenched it in Round Up - but I'm too chicken to pull it out now. I should make my DH do it - he didn't seem to get much of a reaction from it the time that I did and I'm fairly certain he touched it too. (We weren't aware that it was poison ivy at the time)