Difference between revisions of "Kill Poison Oak"
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#*Be aware that if you only had a mild rash in the past, it's possible that another exposure could have a worse effect. | #*Be aware that if you only had a mild rash in the past, it's possible that another exposure could have a worse effect. | ||
#*Be very careful when you remove your clothes after the job is done. The oils from the poison oak plants will be on your gloves, shoes and other clothing. It should all be promptly washed using the hot cycle in your washing machine. | #*Be very careful when you remove your clothes after the job is done. The oils from the poison oak plants will be on your gloves, shoes and other clothing. It should all be promptly washed using the hot cycle in your washing machine. | ||
| − | #Dig out the plants by the roots.<ref>http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7431.html</ref> Smaller plants may be pulled out by hand, but you might need a shovel to dig out larger ones. It's very important to get the entire plant, including the roots. Otherwise the plant will grow right back. | + | #Dig out the plants by the roots.<ref name="rf1">http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7431.html</ref> Smaller plants may be pulled out by hand, but you might need a shovel to dig out larger ones. It's very important to get the entire plant, including the roots. Otherwise the plant will grow right back. |
#*It's easiest to manually remove plants in the spring, when they're green and the ground is relatively soft. Waiting until the ground gets dry or cold will make it difficult to get all the roots, since the plants will tend to break off at the stems. | #*It's easiest to manually remove plants in the spring, when they're green and the ground is relatively soft. Waiting until the ground gets dry or cold will make it difficult to get all the roots, since the plants will tend to break off at the stems. | ||
#Discard the plants. Once you've collected all of the plants and their roots, either stack them in an out-of-the-way area or put them in garbage bags to be thrown away. Dead poison oak plants are still poisonous, so don't leave them in a place where other people will come into contact with them. | #Discard the plants. Once you've collected all of the plants and their roots, either stack them in an out-of-the-way area or put them in garbage bags to be thrown away. Dead poison oak plants are still poisonous, so don't leave them in a place where other people will come into contact with them. | ||
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#*Don't burn the plants. Breathing the smoke from burning poison oak plants is extremely dangerous. | #*Don't burn the plants. Breathing the smoke from burning poison oak plants is extremely dangerous. | ||
=== Chemical Control=== | === Chemical Control=== | ||
| − | #Apply a chemical treatment to poison oak stumps. You can use glyphosate, triclopyr or a combination of these chemicals to kill the poison oak plants. Do this at the beginning of the growing season, while the plants are still green. The plant will will drink in the chemical down to the roots. Once the plants are dead, you'll need to go back and dig them out.<ref | + | #Apply a chemical treatment to poison oak stumps. You can use glyphosate, triclopyr or a combination of these chemicals to kill the poison oak plants. Do this at the beginning of the growing season, while the plants are still green. The plant will will drink in the chemical down to the roots. Once the plants are dead, you'll need to go back and dig them out.<ref name="rf1" /> |
#*Start by covering yourself from head to to. You won't be directly touching the plants this time, but you still need to be careful. | #*Start by covering yourself from head to to. You won't be directly touching the plants this time, but you still need to be careful. | ||
#*Use long-handled loppers to cut down the poison oak plant so that the stems are just {{convert|1|to|2|in|cm|1}} above ground. | #*Use long-handled loppers to cut down the poison oak plant so that the stems are just {{convert|1|to|2|in|cm|1}} above ground. | ||
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#Employ a goat to do the job. Goats love to eat poison oak - they aren't affected by the oils - and since they're always hungry, they can clear out an are riddled with the stuff in no time at all. This is a great natural way to get rid of poison oak plants. Check around to see if there's a goat farm in your area. It's becoming increasingly popular for goat owners to hire out their goats for natural landscape management. | #Employ a goat to do the job. Goats love to eat poison oak - they aren't affected by the oils - and since they're always hungry, they can clear out an are riddled with the stuff in no time at all. This is a great natural way to get rid of poison oak plants. Check around to see if there's a goat farm in your area. It's becoming increasingly popular for goat owners to hire out their goats for natural landscape management. | ||
#*If you go this route, you'll need to get the roots in order to make sure the plants grow back. However, you could instead hire goats every spring to keep them maintained. | #*If you go this route, you'll need to get the roots in order to make sure the plants grow back. However, you could instead hire goats every spring to keep them maintained. | ||
| − | #*Interestingly, goats that eat poison oak produce milk that's free of the toxic oils.<ref>http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/repositoryfiles/ca4603p4-69619.pdf</ref> | + | #*Interestingly, goats that eat poison oak produce milk that's free of the toxic oils.<ref name="rf2">http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/repositoryfiles/ca4603p4-69619.pdf</ref> |
#Try a vinegar spray. This method might be worth a try, especially for smaller plants. Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar and spray the leaves and stems of the poison oak plants in your area. In a few days, the plants should die. Remove the roots if you don't want them to grow back. | #Try a vinegar spray. This method might be worth a try, especially for smaller plants. Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar and spray the leaves and stems of the poison oak plants in your area. In a few days, the plants should die. Remove the roots if you don't want them to grow back. | ||
#Plant your yard with healthy groundcover. Since poison oak tends to thrive in "disturbed" areas with bare soil, you can prevent it from invading by planting other plants to take up that open space. | #Plant your yard with healthy groundcover. Since poison oak tends to thrive in "disturbed" areas with bare soil, you can prevent it from invading by planting other plants to take up that open space. | ||
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== Tips == | == Tips == | ||
