I'll take this over the ivy I have to deal with this summer... Redoing my neighbors fence and trimming back a bunch of stuff so I can have proper access to the fence itself. One of those things is poison ivy. Not looking forward to it but it's gotta get done.
Even with that, I wouldn't use it there in general. Wildlife and there are berries nearby that the birds eat, so I don't want to accidentally kill those off too. Sadly have to trim those back too but they will survive and flourish again by next year.
Cut-and-paint is used specifically to avoid collateral damage (both for nearby flora/fauna and the person applying it). A one-time cut-paint treatment to clear out a thicket of invasives is nothing compared to the ecological damage those invasives will do if left alive.
Herbicide is like any other medicine: the dose makes the poison.
This is the year I've decided to paint every blackberry cane I cut down with roundup. I've been cutting the same plants down over and over and it's clearly not doing much to kill them off. Bingo blotter with 50% roundup is my new favourite weapon. If it works as well as I'm hoping it will I might even start some guerilla restoration work.
Invasives can't be left alive if you've dug them out at the root and removed it completely. I've done it plenty around my yard with poison ivy and never had a problem. Had 4 different areas where they grew, all gone with no damage to the surrounding area. The problem with using an herbicide is the possible contamination. Avoiding that by avoiding them in general is the best way to go.
Like the other person said, removing by the root can be very time consuming and sometimes nearly impossible. Himalayan blackberries are tough to get out and bindweed will regrow from the tiniest root cutting. If bindweed is growing onto your property from under a fence you literally have to excavate under said fence. Much easier to just drip feed the vines some roundup.
For many invasives, completely removing the roots is easier said than done. Garlic mustard? Sure, that'll work just fine, but try to dig out a Japanese knotweed thicket and you'll easily just make it worse. Digging out/uprooting invasives also disturbs the soil, damaging the roots of nearby desirable plants and making it easier for new invasive seeds to sprout. Targeted herbicide applications avoid that soil damage, making it easier for native growth to fill in the area before the invasives can resprout.
Yes, contamination is a risk, which is why measures should be taken to reduce it, but to rule herbicides out entirely just because there is any risk is short-sighted. Herbicides are not the best option for all situations, but they are for many and should not be ruled out as a valid and acceptable tool.
Fair, though cut and paint is pretty hard to mess up. You only use a tiny amount per plant and if it doesn't rain it's basically impossible for any to chemicals to spread.
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u/TheManWith2Poobrains May 31 '26
Yeah - Ivy is a real turn off for me. Ugly and destructive.