On most rural properties around Monticello the fence line is where the property visibly gets away first. One season of neglect and the wire is under a mat of vines, some of them harmless and some of them poison ivy. Clearing it is a routine job for us. Doing it without a rash, and without having to do it again next summer, takes a bit of method.
What is on the fence
Poison ivy
Three leaflets, the middle one on a longer stalk, edges smooth or coarsely toothed, glossy or dull, green in summer and often red in fall. It climbs with hairy aerial roots that make a mature vine look like a fuzzy rope on a tree or post. Every part of the plant carries the oil, including bare winter stems and roots, and the oil stays active on gloves, tools and dog fur for a long time.
Smilax (greenbrier, catbrier)
Thorny green vines with heart-shaped or oval leaves, growing from a large underground tuber. Not toxic, but the thorns are vicious and the tuber means it comes back from anything you do above ground.
Muscadine, Virginia creeper, trumpet vine, Japanese honeysuckle
Harmless to touch, but heavy and fast. Virginia creeper has five leaflets and is constantly mistaken for poison ivy; the count is the difference. Honeysuckle and trumpet vine are what pull a fence over.
Kudzu, air potato, Chinese wisteria
The invasives. If any of these are on the property, they are the priority, because they will cover everything else.
Clearing it safely
- Dress for it. Long sleeves, long pants, boots, and disposable gloves under work gloves if poison ivy is present. Wash everything afterward, including the tools, with cold water and soap. Hot water spreads the oil.
- Never burn it. Smoke from poison ivy carries the oil and can put it in your lungs. Bag or haul the debris instead.
- Cut vines at the base first. A vine that is dead on the fence is easier to pull off in a few weeks than a live one is today. On big poison ivy vines running up a tree, cut a section out at chest height and leave the upper vine to die in place rather than pulling it down on yourself.
- Pull what you can once it has died back, working from the top down. Wire fence usually comes clean; wood fence needs the vine roots scraped off.
- String trim and bush hog the strip along the fence once the vines are off. Our bush hog timing guide covers the rotation for the open ground.
Killing the roots
Cutting alone does not end poison ivy or smilax; both resprout. Treating the cut stump within minutes with a concentrated herbicide labeled for cut-stump use, typically glyphosate or triclopyr, carries it to the roots. Foliar spraying regrowth in late summer with a brush killer labeled for the target, following the label, finishes the job over a season or two. Keep spray off desirable shrubs and off turf you want to keep, and keep it away from water. For smilax, digging the tuber out is the only one-step fix, and on a big one that is a real dig.
Keeping it clear
The fence line is a maintenance item, not a one-time project. What keeps it clear:
- A mown or bush hogged strip on both sides, three to six feet, cut on the same rotation as the rest of the rough ground.
- String trimming along the wire itself each visit, because the cutter cannot get to it.
- Spot-treating resprouts in summer before they climb.
- Cutting back the trees and brush along the line every couple of years so vines have less to launch from. See our post on clearing an overgrown lot.
Our post on edges on a rural property explains why the defined line matters more than what is behind it.
If you get a rash
Wash the skin with soap and cold water as soon as possible; within a few minutes helps, within an hour helps some, after that the oil has bonded. Wash the clothes separately. A rash that is spreading fast, on the face, or covering a large area is a doctor visit, not a drugstore run.
FAQ
Can I tell poison ivy from other vines in winter?
The hairy aerial roots on a mature vine are the giveaway. Treat any bare vine with that look as poison ivy.
Does goats or grazing work?
Goats eat poison ivy and smilax and are used on some properties for exactly this. They also eat everything else.
Will the vines pull the fence down?
Heavy vines on a wood or wire fence add weight and hold moisture against posts. Yes, over time.
Do you clear fence lines?
Yes. It is part of our cleanup and bush hog work; see the services page.
If your fence has disappeared under vines, reach out and we'll get it back and put it on a rotation. We clear fence lines on properties around Lamont, Pinetta and across the county.