From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Poison Oak Eradication
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 20:11:19 -0400
Message-ID: <90sd83pvlvas4qn6p3f474mqstqjj1ml57@4ax.com>

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 19:08:40 GMT, "Bernard  Isker" <bernard_isker111@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>What is the best way to deal with eradication of a 100X100 foot patch of
>this stuff??
>
>Does using driveway herbicide that kills for a year work better than
>Round-up?? Is the herbicide that Ortho makes for Poison Oak better than the
>standard ones??

2,4 D in diesel fuel.  After the kill when the ground is visible, apply a heavy dose
of rock salt.  That will keep the ground sterilized for several years.

You might also check with your local farmer's Co-op.  They'll have a variety of
herbicides that aren't sold in the big box stores (your government at work again.)
I've tried several types and still come back to good ole 2,4 D in diesel.  There's a
remarkable synergy at work there.

Roundup isn't very effective for that.  It's a fairly specialized herbicide with a
catchy name that's been way over-hyped.

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Poison Oak Eradication
Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2007 13:59:38 -0400
Message-ID: <m0qf835ocmj2ed2j0sjmeri65lbfj3g2le@4ax.com>

On Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:48:01 -0800, Jan Flora <snowshoe@xyz.net> wrote:
>
>Agent Orange, AKA 2,4,D.
>
>If that doesn't get it, try Napalm.
>
>   Jan

I know that you're one of those folks who never lets accuracy get in the way of a
smart-assed quip.  Still, for the record, Agent Orange is a mixture of 2,4-D and
2,4,5-T. The combination is a very potent and effective mix.  It is still somewhat
available despite being banned by the EPA based on very poor science.

The "bad rap" that Agent Orange got was from trace contamination by dioxin, a
byproduct of hasty wartime production.  Not present in current product.
Unfortunately, like the hysteria that surrounds cyclamate sweetener and numerous
other chemicals, the hype lingers long after the substance is gone.

Here's a good Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4,5-T

A useful but chemophobic article on 2,4-D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4-d

2,4-D (and 2,4,5-T if you can find it) in diesel oil remains one of the most
effective ground sterilants available.  The diesel oil mix is a labeled use, in case
that matters to anyone.

John