Most people have an allergy to the nettle plant, also known as poison ivy or poison ivy. When your skin comes into contact with this plant, the oil produced by the plant will seep into your skin and cause red, itchy rashes on your skin. To avoid this, there are steps to take to eradicate nettle plants from your yard, as soon as you find them. There are also steps you should take to get rid of the red bumps on your skin if they start to spread. Read this article to find out how to remove nettle from your yard, as well as how to deal with allergies to the plant.
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Method 1 of 4: Basic Steps to Get Rid of Poisonous Nettle Plants
Step 1. Get to know what a nettle plant looks like
Nettle plants can be shrubs that grow upwards (such as rose bushes), creeping shrubs, or even vines. Regardless of shape, nettle plants always have compound leaves, with three young shoots emerging from the same stalk.
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Each leaf tip generally has a length of 5 to 10 centimeters. However, the leaf bud in the middle is usually larger than the other two.
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The leaves of the nettle plant have tapered ends and are often glossy green. However, there are some types that actually have leaves that look dull.
Get Rid of Poison Ivy Step 1Bullet2 - Nettles can grow in many areas, but you can often find them growing along forest trails, on roadsides, or under fences.
Step 2. Set up protection before rooting nettle plants
Wear gloves to prevent your skin from coming into direct contact with the nettle plant. In addition, also wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, socks and shoes. As much as possible protect your skin from direct contact with plants.
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Throw away or wash any gloves you're wearing after you've finished removing the nettle plant. In addition, also wash the clothes you wear. After washing, clean the washing machine drum thoroughly so that other clothes you will wash later are not contaminated with nettle plant oil that may stick to your dirty clothes.
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Step 3. Dig up a small nettle plant
Nettle plants that have just grown or are small can be eradicated by lifting (digging) using a shovel. When uprooting the plant, make sure you remove all parts of the plant, including the roots.
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It should be noted that the nettle plant can grow back from its roots. Therefore, you will need to remove all the roots to ensure that the plant will not grow back.
Get Rid of Poison Ivy Step 3Bullet1 - Uprooting plants will be more effective when the soil conditions are damp.
Step 4. Cut the large plants
If it is difficult to remove or dig up the roots of a nettle plant that has spread far or is old, you can trim the plant with garden shears. Cut the plant from the base.
- As much as possible cut the plant from the base or at least, from the base closest to the soil surface.
- Continue to do the cutting process. You may need to make continuous cuts before you can finally eradicate the plant.
- Wash your pruning shears well after making the cut. This is done to remove any toxic oil that may have stuck to your pruning shears. Use soap and water or a mixture of water and bleach to clean it.
Step 5. Use herbicides
Spray or spray a chemical herbicide on the nettle plant, either uncut or cut.
- To increase the effectiveness of the herbicide, spray the herbicide immediately after you cut the nettle plant. Do not procrastinate because the 'wounds' on the cut stems can be closed thereby blocking access to the roots of the plant.
- Keep in mind that the herbicide you use can also kill other plants. Therefore, it is important that you apply the herbicide directly to the nettle plant. You can use a foam paintbrush to apply the herbicide directly to the nettle plant.
- If possible, look for herbicide products that are specifically intended to kill nettle plants. These herbicides generally contain chemicals such as glyphosate, triclopyr, and amino triazole.
Step 6. Remove any nettle plants you have uprooted
Place the nettle plant and the parts you removed in a plastic bag, then throw it away.
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Do not burn nettle plants. Burning nettle plants can produce toxic fumes that can be harmful to your eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
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Method 2 of 4: Alternative Methods Other Than Chemical Herbicides
Step 1. Use white vinegar as a herbicide
Fill a spray bottle or garden spray with white vinegar that you haven't diluted with water, then spray it directly on the nettle plant.
- As with chemical herbicides, you can spray vinegar on untrimmed leaves as well as cut stems.
- The eradication process using vinegar as a herbicide will take longer than using chemical herbicides. However, as long as the length of the process isn't a problem for you, vinegar can still work for you.
Step 2. Use a salt and soap solution
Mix 1350 grams of salt, 4 liters of water and 60 milliliters of liquid soap and add it to a garden spray. Spray the solution directly on the nettle plant.
- Spray this solution primarily on leaves that have not been trimmed, but you can also spray on stems that have been cut.
- To make the solution stronger, add vinegar to the salt and soap mixture. Dissolve 250 grams of salt in 4 liters of white vinegar, then heat over medium heat. Once cool, add 8 drops of dish soap and stir until evenly distributed. This solution can be used as a herbicide spray for nettle plants.
Step 3. Pour boiling water on the nettle plant
Bring water to a boil in a teapot and then pour the boiling water directly on the roots of the nettle plant.
- This watering needs to be done every day and this process may take a while until the plant finally completely dies.
- You can also pour boiling water on the base of the plant. However, for best results, try digging a small amount of soil around the base of the plant until some of the roots are visible, then pour boiling water directly on the roots.
- Keep in mind that even dead nettle plants still have toxic oils. Therefore, keep taking precautions so that you do not touch the plant directly when removing it.
Step 4. Plant the grass
Once you've uprooted or cut the nettle plant, spread the grass seed in the area where the nettle plant used to be. As the grass grows, the roots will clog up any remaining nettle plant roots. This can make the nettle plant, at the very least, difficult to regrow if the plant doesn't completely die.
This method takes a long time because grass takes time to grow. As the grass grows, you will need to keep pulling or cutting any remaining nettle plants
Method 3 of 4: Basic Steps To Overcome Allergies
Step 1. Immediately clean the skin affected by the nettle plant
You should clean the area immediately within 30 minutes of contact with the plant, and use warm water and a mild soap.
- The oil from the nettle plant can enter the skin quickly, so you should clean the affected area as soon as possible to prevent the allergy from getting worse.
- Use a small brush to clean the skin inside the nail. Otherwise, the oil that sticks to the skin under the nails can spread to other parts of your body.
- Remove clothing that has come into direct contact with the nettle plant and change into clean clothes after you have cleaned the affected area of the skin.
- If you suspect that your pet has touched a nettle plant, give your pet a bath immediately to remove the nettle oil from its fur.
Step 2. Compress the affected skin area with ice or cold water
The red bumps that appear can make you feel uncomfortable and sweat profusely. However, your sweat and body heat can actually make the itching worse. Therefore, compress the part of the skin affected by the allergy to reduce itching and make you cooler.
You should also wear light, loose-fitting clothing so you don't feel stifled
Step 3. Apply a small amount of the product, either calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream, to the bumps on your skin
Do this only as necessary.
- Both calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream can help reduce itching and red rashes on the skin.
- Follow the directions on the label for how much lotion or cream to use and how often to use it.
Step 4. Try taking an antihistamine
Antihistamines are drugs that are usually available in the box and can be taken if calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream do not reduce or relieve itching.
- The itching that occurs after coming into contact with the nettle plant is a reaction to an allergy that most people have to the nettle plant. Antihistamines are drugs used to treat allergies, so they often have an effect that can treat hives, such as those caused by an allergy to nettle plants.
- Always follow the instructions on the drug label to find out the dose of the drug you should take.
Step 5. Call the doctor if needed
If the hives are very severe and difficult to treat with over-the-counter medications, call your doctor or health care provider.
For more severe allergies, doctors will usually give steroids. Steroids are given to patients either in the form of injections or steroid capsules
Step 6. Wash your garden tools and clothes well
Any clothes that you wear when you touch the nettle plant should be washed to prevent the spread of nettle oil. Like clothes, any gardening tools you use to kill nettles need to be cleaned.
- Wash your clothes in hot water and laundry detergent. Clean the washing machine drum well after you have finished washing.
- Clean your garden tools with a diluted bleach solution or with alcohol.
Method 4 of 4: Alternative Medicine for Allergies
Step 1. Use oatmeal soap in the shower
Oatmeal soap products are widely available in stores and are known to treat itching.
- Soak in warm water (lukewarm). Do this at least once a day until the pimples on your skin disappear.
- You can also soak in water that has been mixed with an aluminum acetate solution. Products containing aluminum acetate (such as antiseptic liquid) can be purchased at most drug stores.
Step 2. Make a baking soda paste
Mix 3 teaspoons of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of water and stir until a paste forms. Rub this paste on the skin affected by allergies.
- Baking soda is a natural remedy that can treat itching caused by the nettle plant.
- You can also try taking a bath with a mixture of water and baking soda to reduce the itching caused by widespread hives. Mix 125 grams of baking soda into warm water in your bath tub then soak until the water temperature starts to cool.
Step 3. Use witch hazel extract
Witch hazel is a plant that comes from America and is often used as one of the basic ingredients of cosmetics or other skin medicines. Witch hazel extract is available in liquid or ointment form and can be applied directly to the part of your skin that is affected by allergies.
- Witch hazel extract is an astringent product that can tighten the skin, thereby reducing itching on the skin affected by allergies and making it feel cool.
- This product is natural and made from the bark of the witch hazel tree.
Step 4. Use an aloe vera product
You can directly use aloe vera products, either gel or lotion, on the skin affected by allergies.
- Aloe vera products are made from the inside of the aloe vera plant.
- The content contained in the aloe vera plant can reduce itching and speed up the healing process.
Step 5. Try using tea tree oil
Apply a thin layer of tea tree oil directly on the affected skin area, and rub it on the skin until the oil seems to be absorbed.
- Tea tree oil is a natural product that can treat bruises. Its use can reduce redness and bruising on your skin.
- Tea tree oil is a product made from the Australian tea tree.
Step 6. Wash the affected skin with sea water
If you are near the sea, immediately go to the beach and rub the sea sand on the elastic (bump) on your skin. After the elastic breaks, let the sea water wash the wound on your skin.
- Treatment in this way gives fairly fast results. The pimples on your skin may disappear in a day or two.
- Keep in mind that you must use real seawater. Don't use water from fresh water sources (for example, lakes) and don't try to make 'artificial' seawater by mixing water and salt.
