How do you get rid of...?

Question

poison sumac? My 6 year old has gotten it from our back yard! What will kill it and make it stay away? Thanks!!

Answer 1

Poison Sumac Control:

Manual Control:
For small infestations of poison sumac, manual removal may be the easiest and most effective way of riding yourself of the plant. You must use extreme caution when uprooting poison sumac to reduce contact with the plant. Always wear protective clothing, including long pants, a long sleeve shirt, gloves and shoes that cover your ankles. Use rubber gloves if possible to stop the oil from penetrating and touching your skin. Every bit of the plant including the leaves, vine, and roots, produce urushiol and can cause a rash. Never burn the plants! The urushol is vaporized and carried in the smoke from burning poison sumac, and it is extremely toxic. It can cause lung infections and a rash all over the body.

Chemical Control:
Chemical control requires the use of herbicides that will kill every part of the plant including the roots. One that kills all vegetation or at least shrubby vegetation will give the best results. Remember, even dead plants contain urushiol for up to 5 years and can still cause a rash if you come into contact with them. Any hardware store like Orchard supply will carry herbicides like roundup in ready to use packages and in concentrate. These chemicals kill weeds and shrubs by inhibiting photosynthesis, and so they are most effective when all of the leaves are covered with the chemical to the point of runoff. Chemical control is best administered during the active growing season. For poison sumac, that means spraying between late April and late July in most regions of the eastern United States.

If you have a large problem, I suggest using the concentrated form of Roundup while the plant is actively growing. It will suck the herbicide down into the root system and kill the entire plant. Then when it is dead, you can remove it, but use the precautions suggested to be safe.

Answer 2

There iusn't much you can do except have it removed, and keep having it removed year after year until it doesn't come back any more.

Answer 3

Dig out the roots!

Answer 4

round up will work but be careful what you spray it on it will kill anything you spray it on.