Will Vinegar Kill Poison Ivy? [5 Reasons to Avoid This Method]

Weed killers that include vinegar as the main ingredient won’t kill poison ivy permanently. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which attacks plant leaves and stems but won’t kill a plant down to the roots. If you use a vinegar solution on your poison ivy, it will just grow back in a short while. Additionally, never attempt to boost the killing power of vinegar solutions by adding salt. Salt is easily carried through the soil by moisture and will kill nearby plants and grasses. If you use salt-and-vinegar solutions to kill plants, you will create dead spots in your yard where no plant will grow.

5 Reasons to Never Use Vinegar to Kill Poison Ivy

Many resources recommend a mix of white vinegar, hot water, and liquid dish soap as a way to kill poison ivy plants. However, this “all-natural” solution is both ineffective and dangerous to the environment. Here’s why you shouldn’t try to use vinegar to get rid of poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac.

Vinegar Won’t Kill Poison Ivy Permanently

The acetic acid in vinegar works by drying out the leaves and stems of plants it is sprayed on. However, this same acetic acid is quickly neutralized by soil. This means that vinegar does not kill weeds down to the root. As the acetic acid is neutralized by soil, it loses its killing power. This means you’ll damage the visible portion of the poison ivy, but it will quickly grow back from the roots.

• The acetic acid in vinegar dries out plant leaves and stems.
• Acetic acid is neutralized by soil, which means it won’t penetrate and kill poison ivy roots.
• You may damage visible portions of poison ivy with vinegar, but it will send up new sprouts from the roots.

Poison ivy, like other types of ivy, is incredibly resilient. Even a small portion of the living root can sprout and soon grow into a large plant capable of causing an allergic reaction and an itchy rash. If you use vinegar in a spray bottle, you’ll just have to battle poison ivy again a little later.

Many Vinegar-Based Weed Killers Include Salt

In order to enable a homemade weed killer to kill poison ivy plants down to the root, many DIYers include a cup of salt in the recipe. This method should be avoided at all costs. Salt will kill poison ivy roots, but it will also remain in the soil for years. If there is salt in the soil, no plant or grass will grow there. So, you may wipe out poison ivy with a salt-and-vinegar weed killer, but you won’t be able to grow anything else in that location.

• Never use a weed killer recipe that includes salt alongside vinegar.
• Salt will kill poison ivy to the roots but it will also spread through the soil to kill nearby plants.
• Salt poisons the soil for years, making it a bad choice for killing poison ivy without killing other plants.

To make matters worse, salt spreads through the soil whenever the soil is moistened. You may apply salt in a small area at first, but once it rains the salt will spread out. This will create a widening “dead zone” in your garden where no grass or plants will grow. This makes vinegar weed killers that include salt a very harmful mixture for your garden.

Vinegar Kills Natural Pollinators

In addition to not killing poison ivy permanently, vinegar kills bees and other insects. Not only does vinegar kill bees on contact, but the smell of vinegar in an area also disorients bees and makes it impossible for them to find food. If you are spraying vinegar in your yard or garden you could be killing bees, driving them away, or making them so confused that they cannot feed their hive.

• Vinegar kills honey bees and other pollinators on contact.
• Any bee that lands on a poison ivy plant sprayed with vinegar may die.
• The scent of vinegar disorients bees and makes it impossible for them to find food.
• Vinegar is dangerous to pollinators and should not be sprayed in your garden.

Bees and other pollinators are essential for fruits and vegetables to grow produce. Unpollinated plants won’t produce crops or seeds. By spraying poison ivy or any other plant with vinegar, you are potentially wiping out key pollinators.

Vinegar Harms Any Plant it Touches

Vinegar isn’t strong enough to kill a tough poisonous plant like poison ivy, but it can cause damage to more delicate plant species. Vinegar is harmful to both grasses and leafy plants. If you have a delicate lawn, spraying vinegar could cause brown spots in your grass.

• Vinegar won’t kill poison ivy to the root but can cause damage to less resilient plants and grasses.
• Grass will be damaged if it is sprayed with vinegar.
• This weed killer spray with Triclopyr won’t kill grass and is shown to be non-toxic to bees.

There are several methods that kill poison ivy but won’t kill the grass. The best products for killing poison ivy are sprays that include Triclopyr. This systemic herbicide kills poison ivy but is harmless to grass. Additionally, Triclopyr has been tested and found to be practically non-toxic to honeybees.

Powerful Vinegar Can Be Dangerous

Some garden enthusiasts claim horticultural vinegar is a great weed killer. However, it is not proven to be any more effective at killing poison ivy roots than standard vinegar. To make matters worse, horticultural vinegar is dangerous to work with. It contains a high concentration of acetic acid, making it corrosive to skin, eyes, and nasal passages. To use horticultural vinegar, you must wear gloves, goggles, and breath protection.

• Beware of using horticultural vinegar to try to kill poison ivy.
• Horticultural vinegar is not effective at killing poison ivy permanently.
• Horticultural vinegar contains extremely high levels of acetic acid, making it dangerous to handle.

Because horticultural vinegar can cause chemical burns if it makes contact with your skin, it is a poor choice for a weed killer. The risk of using a super-strong vinegar is not worth it—9 times out of 10 it won’t kill poison ivy permanently.

What Kills Poison Ivy Permanently?

In order to kill poison ivy without killing nearby plants, use a herbicide that contains Triclopyr, 2,4-D, Dicamba, and/or Mecoprop. These systemic herbicides enter poison ivy through the leaves and are carried through the ivy’s entire vascular system. This means that these weed killer sprays kill poison ivy to the root. They are all far more effective than vinegar.

• Use a weed killer spray like this Crossbow herbicide to kill poison ivy without harming grass.
• A systemic weed killer sprayed on poison ivy leaves will kill the ivy to the root but won’t spread to other plants.
• Cut ivy back to the ground repeatedly or dig it up to remove it without using chemicals.

If you don’t want to spray herbicide in your lawn or garden, you can simply cut poison ivy off close to the ground repeatedly. The ivy will try to grow back and you’ll have to continue mowing or cutting it, but the plant will eventually die if you are patient. Otherwise, the best removal option is to dig up poison ivy from the root.

What is the Best Natural Way to Kill Poison Ivy?

Dig up poison ivy and remove it from the root to get rid of it the natural way. Begin by dressing in pants, long sleeves, heavy gloves, and goggles whenever you are removing poison ivy. Avoid skin contact with poison ivy to prevent poison ivy rashes. Then, use long-handled loppers to cut off poison ivy vines close to the ground.

• Dress in protective clothes and gloves to avoid contact with poison ivy.
• Use these loppers to cut off poison ivy close to the ground.
• Dig up poison ivy roots to kill the plant permanently.
• Throw poison ivy in a trash bin.
• Do not burn poison ivy—the smoke is highly poisonous.
• If you develop poison ivy rashes consult a doctor and review these guidelines from Poison Control.

Once the leafy growth has been removed and dragged away, use a shovel to dig up the poison ivy roots. Poison ivy roots grow to a depth of about 8 inches (20 cm), so it may take a bit of digging. Once the ivy roots and vines have been removed, discard them in a green trash bin. Never burn poison ivy. The smoke from burning poison ivy is dangerous. It can cause a severe allergic reaction in your lungs and airways if inhaled.

Does Apple Cider Vinegar Kill Poison Ivy?

Apple cider vinegar—as well as all other types of vinegar—is not effective at killing poison ivy. Here’s why you should never use any type of vinegar for poison ivy removal:

• Vinegar is neutralized by soil and won’t kill poison ivy to the roots.
• Vinegar solutions that include salt will poison the soil so no plants will grow.
• Bees and other essential pollinators are killed and driven off by vinegar.
• Vinegar is non-selective, meaning it harms any plant or insect it touches.
• Horticultural vinegar with high concentrations of acetic acid is dangerous to work with.

Instead of using vinegar in an attempt to end your poison plant problem, choose a herbicide that won’t harm grass and is proven to be non-toxic to bees. Alternatively, uproot poison ivy with a shovel to get rid of it permanently the natural way.