Scratch That Poison Ivy with Ortho Brush Be Gone
Written: Sep 07 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Kills what it says it will and pretty fast, for woody vines
Cons: didn't find it sooner
The Bottom Line: If you have a pesky woody vine (not brambles or berries), this product will do them in for GOOD. What you spray doesn't stand a chance. ITCH NO MORE!
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| mind-full's Full Review: Ortho Brush-B-Gon Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush... |
If you have poison ivy, oak or another bothersome vine on your property, Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer Concentrate (mixed proportionately with water) will take care of it. If you don't know you have it, do some weeding around the place -- within a few days, you'll know . . .
Must Be a Mosquito Bite
Eight years ago, during our first spring in our starter home, I rounded up my gardening gear for a foray into the great beyond . . . our postage stamp lawn, roughly 23 feet wide by 100 feet deep . . . and started weeding the flower beds that ran the length of the property, then hooked up the hedge trimmer to throttle the 9-foot high privet hedge that ran the 100-foot property line.
Satisfying work, to finally be able to see the flower beds on our side of things, and to have a better view of the neighborhood after whacking the hedge down a few feet.
But did my cheek ever itch. Didn't think mosquitos ventured out much in the early afternoon.
Turns out they don't.
I had a case of poison ivy like you wouldn't believe. My doctor couldn't identify it, as the rash covered my forearm and most of my leg on my left side, and over several days' time, made it's way to body parts that remained covered while gardening.
I had poison ivy to spare. My left side was like a relief map of some unknown, very long (and at the time, narrow) territory.
And I'm not even going to discuss the itching. If you've had poison ivy -- even a little bit -- you know the feeling. You try to itch around the rash. You grit your teeth as you try to ignore the pleas of your enflamed epidermis: "Go ahead . . . scratch it. It'll make you feel better".
Those of you who haven't met the poison ivy plant head-on (or from the side, as I did), but know you have it, get yourself some Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer .
What's in the Bottle That Sends Poison Ivy (and a list of other infernal weeds) Packing?
0.7% Triethylamine Salt
99 .3 Inert Ingredients
That's it. That's all you need.
Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer concentrate in a one-quart bottle is a dark amber-colored liquid, and when measured out in 2-ounce increments and mixed with one quart of water, makes a fine woody vine killer.
Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer is harmful to animals and other plants, so be careful, cautious and use discretion in its use. It's harmful if swallowed, can cause skin irritation, and basically, isn't something you want to touch.
Wear gloves if you can, and be sure to aim your spray bottle in the right direction.
One quart of concentrate, the contents of this bottle, makes 8 gallons of Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer. That's enough to do in quite a field full of itch-mongering weeds.
And if you've had poison ivy or oak at any time, you'll feel quite vengeful about searching out these innocent-looking plants and spraying the living daylights out of them. They don't shrivel at the first drops of Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer , but within a few days, they show their weakness. In a few weeks, they retreat. A little while later, they are no more.
How Do I Know if I Need This Stuff?
Basically, if you've identified poison ivy or oak on your property, or have had an itchy rash that "weeps" after working or playing outdoors in a woodsy or overgrown area, you need Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer. The three-leafed poison ivy vine is easy to identify, and Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer offers pictures of it and poison oak on the bottle.
As for "brush", I believe that to be small, slender canes of a woody variety, not thick grasses, grape vines or large brambles.
Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer will eradicate only what you spray only if it's within the realm of its capabilities. You can't expect to spray the outlying surface of a hedgerow of brambles or a thickly carpeted area of poison ivy and be weed-free in two weeks. These varieties of plants are hard to kill because they spread through amazingly complex root systems.
Your best bet is to get out there and get your itchy rash in the spring . . . or identify the plants, if you can do that first! Get them just as they're poking their ugly heads up through the soil and are beginning to show leaves. Too soon and you may kill some beautiful flowering plant by mistake. Months too late, though, and you may have your problem for quite a while and have to work a bit longer to eradicate it.
How to Apply This Wonderful Stuff
First, wear gloves. Eye protection isn't a bad idea, either.
As I mentioned before, two ounces (the quart bottle of concentrate offers a see-through window with markings on the side) of Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer mixed with one quart of water is the correct measurement. You can, of course make more.
I used a regular bottle of Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer first -- the regular strength kind, and simply re-used the bottle for the concentrate mixing. You can use a larger, pump sprayer if you have lots of area to cover.
Swirl the mixture around a bit after capping it tightly. Head out and find the culprit.
Once you have found a section of the offending weed or bramble, try to trace it to it's closest root. Spray the stem and leaves in this area until they are wet. I say there's no such thing as overkill when it comes to this stuff, but just wetting them thoroughly is enough.
For goodness' sake, don't touch the leaves or stem with bare hands to try to pull along to the root! Even with gloves, the oils from the plant will get on the fabric and you can contaminate anything you touch.
If you can't find a rooted piece, spray as many leaves as you can find. They'll take in the poison, send them along the stem to the root (it's looking for nourishment . . . muah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaaa! Here's some nourishment, you dastardly weed!).
In time, you will take control of your yard or wooded area again. If you find the problem early, you have the easier job in controlling it.
My Experience, in the End
Turns out my 100 by 9-foot hedge was part privet part poison ivy . . . because I got into my work in trimming, I got into the center of the hedge where the ivy lurked.
Once I found it, it was no match for Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer. Having found it in late April (northeastern USA), I caught it early, sprayed it enough to satisfy my soul (which, thankfully, didn't itch), and checked it daily to see the results.
I ended up spraying almost 75% of the hedgerow to some degree, as the ivy was rampant. Having non-gardening neighbors, the ivy began in their overgrown yard and spread to the hedge. Thankfully, they didn't mind me taking control of the problem. Other neighbors might not have been so easy-going about it.
And, in the end, I still had a half bottle of Ortho Brush-B-Gone Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Brush Killer to spare.
I used it some in early summer for stragglers I missed the first time, and again the following spring for new shoots that survived somehow. The third year, I had no more poison ivy.
When we moved from the house after 6 years, the remaining 1/3 bottle came along. So far, I have not had to use it on our own property, but will head out next spring with the Hudson sprayer to take care of the path that leads to the park across the street.
The poison ivy on that wooded path won't know what hit it. We can walk "on the wild side" with peace of mind . . . and no more itching!
Recommended:
Yes
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mind-full
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Member: Amy
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