So. Finally got most of my wood for next season stacked up, and it has a good bit of poison ivy vines on pieces of it. I'm pretty allergic to the stuff - got it when we were bucking and splitting, and picked up a milder case when stacking. What about Roundup? I've got a ton of the generic stuff I picked up at Rural King on the cheap. If I spray it all (in an attempt to kill whatever is still clinging to the splits) do you think I'll be compromising my stove/chimney liner when I go to burn it? My goal is to not have to be super conscientious when bringing wood into the house, loading the stove, etc. I've got ten cords of the stuff, though, so I can't just get rid of it. Any takers?
Wood... and Roundup?
- Thread starter Creek-Chub
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Roundup turns pretty neutral after a short amount of time. I am sure after being rained on, and in the sun for the rest of the year, you won't have any problems. Please note that the poison ivy will still retain the itchy stuff long after its dead.
Jags said:
That's sort of what I was thinking, but was looking for some input. Anyone ever done this?
Creek-Chub said:
Well, the important part (if there is one) of my post was the fact that poison ivy can still be quite irritating long after it is dead, so I am not real sure killing it a little earlier is gonna help much.
Take a look around the Internet for what happens when you burn poison ivy. That stuff gets in your lungs and you are screwed. Blisters the inside of your lungs.
It's the oil in the ivy that causes the reaction so the only way Round up will help (if it can and I don't think it will) is by diluting the oil. Burning it will cause some to catch it who would other not be bothered by it. In cooler weather where long sleeves and leather knit cuff gloves are a good tool maybe you can strip the bark off. I am pretty allergic to the stuff so I avoid scratching my nose and I also keep a good supply of Fast Orange degreaser (like Goop) handy when I have to work with the stuff. The gloves get washed before re-use or burned (a quick open the door-shut the door of the stove) if worn too much. In cooler weather I actually wear coveralls for better protection. The coveralls get washed and I do a scrub. Most the time I try to pull the vine from the fallen tree before I do any serious work on it.
I have been dealing with poison ivy the last two days trying to clear some brush. I do the same as cave2k, long sleeves and pants, and no touching the face with gloves, come in the house everything goes in the wash. I have a slight advantage, I seam to not be allergic (knocking on wood at the moment) but I figure better safe then sorry.
I would say once the ivy dies it will probably come loose from the wood. I seriously doubt u will get it in the heart of winter with all the layers of clothes you will have on. I would just remind yourself to wash your hands after loading the stove.
I would say once the ivy dies it will probably come loose from the wood. I seriously doubt u will get it in the heart of winter with all the layers of clothes you will have on. I would just remind yourself to wash your hands after loading the stove.
Just wanted to add that you avoid putting ivy covered wood in the stove first. Be sure to put it in last and don't open the door until you are down to coals. My Dad was not allergic to poison ivy/oak but got a blast of smoke in the face from his stove while loading and ended up with a reaction on his face. He would have probably been alright if he wash his face immediately after but he didn't think it a problem as he was not normally allergic to the stuff. He was careful after that. Also I have seen dead ivy vines stick to the bark of trees well after the two were dead, 2-3 years at least, and gotten a rash from the dust of stuff I cut and ignored. My first strike remedy is to remove the stuff from the tree and wash where I came in contact with it. When hiking I use fresh water and sand and have been fairly successful in avoiding a full blown out break.
Normally I am pretty resistent to getting reaction but while working this winter I had a cherry tree with a thick ivy vine wrapped all the way up the trunk of the tree. I was careful to have gloves, and multiple layers on. I was pretty surprised to get a reaction on my forearms (from carrying rounds to the truck). When splitting I made sure all the vine was off the round/splits before stacking. It was tedious at times but I didnt want to be burning it.
I had several acres that were rather heavily infested, growing all the way to tips of trees.
I've spent the last 10 years spraying Round-up on poison ive and wisteria that went went wild.
Went out one Winter and cut all the vines at the base of trees .
3, 4 years later many of those dead vines are still attached.
The oils have dried out, though.
I'm VERy sensitive to it, so I pull the vines off with pliers or just let it all rot on the ground.
As your splits dry the bark should fall off and the vines with it, no ?
FYI: the roots are very well saturated with oils even in the Winter.
I've spent the last 10 years spraying Round-up on poison ive and wisteria that went went wild.
Went out one Winter and cut all the vines at the base of trees .
3, 4 years later many of those dead vines are still attached.
The oils have dried out, though.
I'm VERy sensitive to it, so I pull the vines off with pliers or just let it all rot on the ground.
As your splits dry the bark should fall off and the vines with it, no ?
FYI: the roots are very well saturated with oils even in the Winter.
Do not burn PI not only for yourself, but neighbors if you have any in reasonable distance. The oil of the plant is strongest in the vines will float in smoke. Kinda like mustard gas of WWI. I am very sensitive to it. Got clipped 3 times last year, found out just a couple weeks ago where it was hiding out, neighbors Lilac bushes, right on property line, we have had some discusion about it at this point. Oil in vine can stay active for a very long time couple years in some cases. Strip bark and vines from wood , move it to a safe location and soak it down with a brush killer. Those damn vines have a way of coming back to life. I would also suggest power washing the rounds with a good commecial cleaner degreaser leaving that dry and then splitting. Getting that stuff in the lungs can be a death sentence for some folks. What is really strange is 30 years of upland hunting with my dogs I never got a case nor did any one in my family. 6 months of working on my parents ( getting ready for sale) place I get clipped 3 times, go figure. Yep you can get it in the middle of winter also. My ma would get huge blisters from it, me it gets in my blood stream and spreads every where kinda looks like a bad case of prickly heat rash, very uncomfortable and pricey for shots and pills from the Doc.
Naturally cutting elm, we have also had the poison ivy to contend with. Because we cut in the winter months, most of the ivy just stays on the log. Being winter, we are pretty well covered, but don't be touching bare skin with those gloves, please!
Some of the ivy I take off while splitting but not much. After being in the pile for a year or more it then peels of very easy and we do so before taking the wood in the house. However, we also have burned some with no problem at all. Usually if we burn some there is just a small vine or two on the logs. If it is big vine then we naturally try to take it off. Over the years we have burned quite a lot too!
If you want to take it off right after cutting the tree it can be done quite easily with an axe. Just slide the axe under the vine and push while pulling the vine using the other hand. It comes off quite rapidly that way. We've done it many times.
So after many years of fighting this stuff, I still can not say which is the best method but I definitely would caution burning it in the stove unless it has been cut and stacked for more than a year. By then I don't think there is enough green or oil in the vine to harm anyone.
Some of the ivy I take off while splitting but not much. After being in the pile for a year or more it then peels of very easy and we do so before taking the wood in the house. However, we also have burned some with no problem at all. Usually if we burn some there is just a small vine or two on the logs. If it is big vine then we naturally try to take it off. Over the years we have burned quite a lot too!
If you want to take it off right after cutting the tree it can be done quite easily with an axe. Just slide the axe under the vine and push while pulling the vine using the other hand. It comes off quite rapidly that way. We've done it many times.
So after many years of fighting this stuff, I still can not say which is the best method but I definitely would caution burning it in the stove unless it has been cut and stacked for more than a year. By then I don't think there is enough green or oil in the vine to harm anyone.
Ortho makes a product that will take care of ivy alot better than roundup. I use both products all the time but the ortho definately will kill ivy better.
Thanks for the info fellas. I'm highly allergic to the stuff, hence the questions. I've got most of it split and stacked, so I'm somewhat limited in my options. I guess the thing to do at this point is to pull what vines are left off of the splits some time before sticking them in the stove - either individually, or in bunches before I bring it into the house. That, and be super careful. I guess the kids will get a winter off from bringing wood into the house.
Just as an aside... It was pretty neat to see how fast this stuff accumulated. It came from one score, for the most part, and I'm fast approaching the ten cord mark. It's getting stacked on pallets up against a fence. 3 foot wide pallets, 4 feet high, and the fence sections are ten feet long. Roughly a cord a section. I keep stacking and counting sections. 3 cords, 4 cords, 5 cords, and the smile just keeps getting bigger.
When we picked it all up back in Feb. or Mar. I remember telling my wife (mental image of me, hitching up my jeans and speaking with a wisp of grass in my mouth) "Honey, I do believe we've got 'purt near 10 cords of wood here..." and her looking at me like I was nuts. It has taken some time and effort, but seeing it all stacked makes it worth it. I'll try to get some pics when its all done.
RE: Poison Ivy - If you think you've been in the stuff, use Isopropyl Alcohol, and liberally. It works like a charm if used shortly after exposure. Just don't re-expose yourself shortly after, as it removes the beneficial oils on your skin that act (somewhat) as a barrier to the Ivy.
Just as an aside... It was pretty neat to see how fast this stuff accumulated. It came from one score, for the most part, and I'm fast approaching the ten cord mark. It's getting stacked on pallets up against a fence. 3 foot wide pallets, 4 feet high, and the fence sections are ten feet long. Roughly a cord a section. I keep stacking and counting sections. 3 cords, 4 cords, 5 cords, and the smile just keeps getting bigger.
When we picked it all up back in Feb. or Mar. I remember telling my wife (mental image of me, hitching up my jeans and speaking with a wisp of grass in my mouth) "Honey, I do believe we've got 'purt near 10 cords of wood here..." and her looking at me like I was nuts. It has taken some time and effort, but seeing it all stacked makes it worth it. I'll try to get some pics when its all done.
RE: Poison Ivy - If you think you've been in the stuff, use Isopropyl Alcohol, and liberally. It works like a charm if used shortly after exposure. Just don't re-expose yourself shortly after, as it removes the beneficial oils on your skin that act (somewhat) as a barrier to the Ivy.
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