Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Poison Ivy on Oak Tree, 3 by Ozark

Ozark wrote:
I'm not sure where to ask this question, so I'll try here. We have a big oak tree in the center of our front yard. When we had our house built, that area needed to be raised up with fill dirt about four feet. I wanted to save the tree, so I had our builder put big rocks all around the trunk so soil wouldn't be up around it so much. That worked, and the tree is fine 22 years later.

But for all that time, poison ivy has grown up the tree - lots of it, reaching about 35 feet high, and I'd REALLY like to get rid of it. I've been afraid to use herbicide, as we sure don't want to lose that tree. Several times over the years I've tried to cut and pull the poison ivy out but it just comes back stronger than ever. The roots are down in that bed of rocks, they break off, and it's impossible to pull them all out. Also, the other times I tried to get rid of it I didn't stay after it like I should have, and I let it get started back up the tree.

Today I cut and pulled the poison ivy all around the tree as high as I can reach, and I made sure there aren't any vines left, even tiny ones, from ground level to over six feet up. Now, all growing season, I'll mow close around the tree and weed-whack every last bit of ivy that comes up. If I can keep the ivy from having any leaves at all for this whole year, do you think it'll die?

Or, I've got a super herbicide that gets dabbed on the stumps of fresh-cut tree sprouts and it kills them. The stuff is so strong I had to sign some government form to buy it at the feed store. I sure don't want to kill that tree, though. What would you do?