How to Kill Poison Ivy in Your Lawn

Chemical-Free Method

• 1). Outfit yourself with a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and rubber gloves to protect your skin when you are working with the poison ivy.
  
  
• 2). Chop off the plants at ground level with a pair of garden shears. Place the plants in a garbage bag for disposal. The dislocated plants can still cause irritation because they are filled with urushiol resin.
  
  
• 3). Monitor the spot where you chopped off the plants until you see a new crop emerging. As soon as the second batch of plants becomes big enough to chop off at ground level, do so with the garden shears. Dispose of the cuttings in a plastic garbage bag.
  
  
• 4). Repeat Steps 1 to 3 as needed until there are no longer any plants sprouting. Eventually, the plant will stop sprouting due to lack of food resources, according to Dr. Steve George, horticulturist at the Texas Cooperative Extension Agency in Dallas, Texas.
  
  

Herbicide Method

• 1). Put on a long-sleeved shirt, rubber gloves and long pants.
  
  
• 2). Mix an herbicide specifically labeled for poison ivy eradication with water in a disposable container, according to the manufacturer's product instructions. Dip a sponge into the mixture to saturate it. Apply the herbicide to the plant leaves with the sponge.
  
  
• 3). Allow the plant to wither and die. The poison ivy will likely grow back, and you will need to repeat Steps 1 and 2 as many times as necessary before the plant ceases to grow.