# Weed Killer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376 "2012-05-28T21:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/1 "2012-05-28T21:03:11Z")
Trying to get rid of poison ivy. Is Roundup or Brush b gone more effective? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/2 "2012-05-29T02:05:36Z")
I’ve had better luck with Brush Be Gone, or other brush killers, rather than RoundUp. Really have to wet it down too. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/3 "2012-05-29T10:51:36Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I’ve had better luck with Brush Be Gone, or other brush killers, rather than RoundUp. Really have to wet it down too. There are different grades of Roundup. The stuff from Lowe’s is consumer grade, and kinda wimpy. There is a brush killer version you can get from a farm supply that will do the job easily. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/4 "2012-05-29T15:31:56Z")
Is burning an option? I have done that in the past with good success. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/5 "2012-05-29T16:13:59Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Is burning an option? I have done that in the past with good success. I wouldn’t do it because even the smoke will cause the rash for me. Fire works wonders on the vine, however. ETA: Per previous post, Brush-B-Gone is great stuff, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/6 "2012-05-29T16:25:31Z")
Whatever you use, read and follow the directions very carefully. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/7 "2012-05-29T16:37:17Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Is burning an option? I have done that in the past with good success. Burning PI is a potentially dangerous operation. Getting PI in your respiratory tract isn’t fun. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/8 "2012-05-29T16:39:45Z")
I’ve never had a problem getting rid of the small patch of poison ivy in my yard with [Roundup Extended Control](http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?proId=prod10270002&itemId=cat10001) but it’s only like 2’x4’ and I get it fairly early, before it’s even gotten vine-y. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/9 "2012-05-30T02:12:24Z")
Fire is not an option. Too close to the house. In the past I have used Roundup concentrate, which I would then dilute to give me brush control proportions. I happened to find some Weed be gon and used that yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/10 "2012-05-30T02:16:45Z")
Ortho Ground Clear works quite well. ---
**Author:** ![Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kansas_Beekeeper)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/11 "2012-05-30T02:44:56Z")
Roundup (glyphosate), even mixed strong, is not very effective against hardy woody plants, especially poison ivy. Use Brush Be Gone. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/12 "2012-05-30T04:40:48Z")
Add a few drops of dish soap to what you use. It helps the weed killer stick to the plant and not just run off of it. Round up ProMax uses a surfactant to do this, but dish soap works pretty well, too. [http://www.monsanto.com/products/Pages/roundup-promax.aspx](http://www.monsanto.com/products/Pages/roundup-promax.aspx) it ---
**Author:** ![Rampant\_Coypu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Rampant\_Coypu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rampant_Coypu)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer/623376/13 "2012-05-30T04:55:53Z")
If you know where the bases of the stems are, use a little bleach right at the stems.