How do I get rid of poison oak in my wooded, and overgrown, yard?

Debbie H.
by Debbie H.
  7 answers
  • Carole Carole on May 02, 2017

    Ortho poison ivy and oak killer ( learned the hard way) use it two times and follow thru with the directions to the T. We had 1/2 acre and this is what works!! Don't cut or pull until completely dead, will drop seeds.. best of luck

  • Monalee. Branch Monalee. Branch on May 02, 2017

    Get an almanac and go to the signs and find the days for killing weeds and on that day with long sleeves ang good leather gloves., take your shears and cut at the base of the root. Let lay until dried. About 3 days, pick up eith rake and burn. Keep cleaned by using weed killer such as Roundup.

  • Jnc22440961 Jnc22440961 on May 03, 2017

    I have been getting rid of a area of my property of poison oak it is taken several years you have to stay after it every time it even pops its little head out you have to either cut it off or spray it poison oak has tendrils that go underneath the ground and spread . Maintain maintain maintain constant spring or cutting back eventually kill it but you have to be persistent

  • The21760848 The21760848 on May 04, 2017

    I used a combo of what's been mentioned, but, Never burn poison oak. Never. I have a quarter acre in Northern California, I'm allergic, husband is very allergic. I had a small forest of it. I had to get a guy to pull it out of the trees and haul it for about $700. Most people won't touch it and I couldn't risk it falling on my head. I still got dots of it every time I went there (for 1st yr), unless I used Tecnu. Then I took to spraying every time I saw new sprouts. The only Round Up that worked for me was the tough brush killer for blackberries and poison oak/ivy. The regular weed ones didn't work, seriously, it's tough to kill, it does have runners, and you have to keep after it. Even roto tilling doesn't really get rid of it.

  • Irene Cousineau Irene Cousineau on May 17, 2017

    DO NOT BURN IT!! My sister did that when she lived in Arkansas and ended up in the hospital for several days and kept in an induced coma because she breathed the smoke and the poison oak was in her lungs and all over her.

  • Debbie H. Debbie H. on May 17, 2017

    I got caught in the smoke from burning it when I was young. Fortunately, I didn't breathe it, but it did cling to all the moist areas (I.e. crook of my elbows, behind my knees...). So I'm well aware of the dangers of burning poison oak. Thanks.

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Feb 07, 2024

    This is just the thing! I find this works wonderfully. You have to cut down the ivy and then brush this on the top of where you cut it. Bonide