Controlling poison ivy is a challenging task. In the woods, it can simply be avoided. But in a yard, it can quickly take over an area and is a health risk to most people.

I have been fighting poison ivy in my yard for four years. I always think I am getting a handle on it, but each year it comes back stronger than ever. The people who lived in the house before me must have thought it was part of the landscape – it makes a striking combination intertwined with English ivy and Trumpet creeper vine.

My original plan in my yard was to control the poison ivy culturally, by physically removing the plant. Dressed in long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and boots and armed with rubber gloves, I cut shoots and pulled runners. I used a shovel to chop the “mother root” several inches below the soil. I left no visible trace of the plant.

Imagine my surprise the next spring when there were new little shoots all over the area where the poison ivy had been. Every piece of root left in the ground apparently sprouted. This time, I turned empty grocery store bags inside out, and used them to protect my hand as I pulled the ivy. I then wrapped the bag around the plant and tied it shut for disposal.

If you try either of these methods, make sure to wash thoroughly once you are finished. Use cool running water and avoid soap that contains oil or lanolin – it can spread the oil from the poison ivy. The Missouri Department of Conservation recommends Fells Naptha soap, Ivory soap or old-time lye soap. There are also a few commercial products available that were created specifically for removing the poison ivy oil. Clothes should be laundered in a washing machine with detergent, and tools should be cleaned with alcohol or a mild bleach solution.

Never burn poison ivy to control it – particles released into the air may contact eyes and skin or could even be inhaled, causing severe reactions.

The reaction that many people have to poison ivy is actually a response to oil in the sap of the plant. The oil/sap is present in all plant parts, and is released when the plant is bruised or damaged. Simply brushing the plant with your hand is enough to cause injury and release the oil, thus initiating a reaction.

This year, I decided to go with a stronger approach. I purchased a non-selective herbicide, mixed it according to label instructions, and carefully sprayed several leaves of the plant, making sure not to get any of the herbicide on desirable plants that were nearby. If the poison ivy were any closer to my flowers, I would have used a paint brush to apply the chemical to the poison ivy leaves instead of the sprayer. The research indicates that even this method may require two or three applications.

Another option for control is to cut the plant off at ground level and apply herbicide directly to the cut stem. Any time you choose to use a herbicide (or pesticide of any kind), make sure to read and follow label instructions – it is the law.

I’m anxious to see how long it will actually take to get rid of the plant I’ve been fighting for so long. And yesterday, I noticed I now have two new poison ivy plants in other locations in my yard.

For more information about poison ivy identification and management, call the Douglas County Extension Master Gardener Hotline at 843-7058, Monday-Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., or e-mail dgemg@sunflower.com.