# Need a recommendation on a good herbicide for poison ivy.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-recommendation-on-a-good-herbicide-for-poison-ivy/833380>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 2, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-recommendation-on-a-good-herbicide-for-poison-ivy/833380 "2019-05-02T18:25:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-recommendation-on-a-good-herbicide-for-poison-ivy/833380/1 "2019-05-02T18:25:43Z")

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I’m looking for something that’s extremely deadly to poison ivy but mostly benign on other plants (especially grass).

Any suggestions?

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-recommendation-on-a-good-herbicide-for-poison-ivy/833380/2 "2019-05-02T19:55:24Z")

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The requirement to be benign to other plants is going to be nearly impossible.

Your best bet is going to be to pull out as much as you can by the roots, and use Brush-B-Gon very specifically on anything left or whatever grows back. But it will kill other stuff that you get it on, including grass.

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**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-recommendation-on-a-good-herbicide-for-poison-ivy/833380/3 "2019-05-02T20:21:15Z")

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Vinegar – extra strength vinegar if you can get it – applied directly to the leaves of the poison ivy (try not to get it on other plants), if possible on a warm day while it’s in full sun.

Repeat if the poison ivy comes back.

I don’t know that there’s anything that will only kill poison ivy and not kill any other plants.

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-recommendation-on-a-good-herbicide-for-poison-ivy/833380/4 "2019-05-02T20:57:16Z")

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Nuke it from orbit – it is the only way to be sure (but yes, that may cause nearby plants issues 😉 )

Brian

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**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-recommendation-on-a-good-herbicide-for-poison-ivy/833380/5 "2019-05-02T21:20:45Z")

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Trimec weed killer should work and not kill the grass.

[https://gvt.net/sites/default/files/files/Trimec-Crabgrass-Plus-Lawn-Weed-Killer-Concentrate.pdf](https://gvt.net/sites/default/files/files/Trimec-Crabgrass-Plus-Lawn-Weed-Killer-Concentrate.pdf)  
Another one is Momentum, but not sure you can buy that in small amounts. It can be expensive.

> **[000228-00447-20100308.pdf](https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/000228-00447-20100308.pdf)**
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> 542.48 KB