Q: I have poison ivy growing on my tree and in a bed of pachysandra at its base. When is the best time to spray it, and what can I use that won’t kill the pachysandra?
— Helen Antonucci, Fairlawn
A: The Ohio State University Extension fact sheet Poison Ivy Identification and Control recommends cutting the poison ivy vines at their base and applying a product containing either glyphosate or triclopyr to the new shoots that emerge from the base of the old vines. The best time to apply the weed killer is early summer, from two weeks before full bloom to two weeks after, the fact sheet says. You may have to keep retreating new growth.
Glyphosate is found in Roundup and Ortho Kleeraway Grass & Weed Killer. Triclopyr is found in Ortho Brush-B-Gon Poison Ivy Killer.
Hand-pulling is one option for removing the poison ivy from your pachysandra bed, and now is a good time to do it, because the ground is moist. If that’s not possible, you can paint glyphosate onto the poison ivy leaflets, taking care not to get any on the pachysandra. Don’t do this on a windy day, or the wind may blow drops of the weed killer onto the pachysandra.
When you’re working with poison ivy, take care to protect your skin, to launder clothes and gloves afterward and to rinse the washing machine thoroughly.
You can read the OSU fact sheet at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1015.html.
Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address.