Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Poison Ivy Around Pond

I am trying to manage the poison ivy around my pond. Since the pond is in my front yard and my kids play around it all day I would like to get rid of it ASAP. I have been pulling it up by the roots for fear of polluting the pond with chemicals. Has anybody dealt with poison ivy/oak around their pond? Is there a safe chemical to use? I thought about carefully brushing the leaves with a brush rather than spray to minimize the amount of chemical used. Would this work? Thoughts?

I have dealt with it in the yard. I have controlled it by pulling it up and then keeping it mowed closely. Lawn grass eventually chokes it out. Tordon RTU kills it if you paint the freshly cut stems with a small amount.

It's all around my tank too.

I don't know the effects of Tordon around a pond, it is the only sure way to kill the ivies with one application. Read the label first.

I know rock salt can be used to sterilize the soil around unwanted plants, but it does just that, nothing will grow there until the salt leaches back out of the soil. And, how much salt is too much for a pond environment? I wouldn't go crazy with it.

I have a fence row with poison ivy and Round Up works, but it takes several applications. Brushing it on would be cumbersome and you could expect to apply many times especially on the older more established plants.

Read the labels of the chemicals that you want to use. Some chemicals say not to use where any overspray can get into the water, some say do not use within 25' of water.

Since it sounds like you are not a licensed applicator, you will be limited to what you can buy off the shelf in the local stores. I would not be concerned about spraying the leaves of the ivy with a glyphosate based herbicide, but if you might get any in the water I would use one that is approved for use around ponds/lakes/streams like Shore Klear. Read the label and follow the directions.

Cutting the vines, removing them and painting the cut ends of the part that goes into the ground with Tordon RTU is another good option like was said above, but it is more time consuming.

You need more deer to eat the poison ivy up!