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POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST

Lawn Fertilization & Treatment, Lawn and Yard Work, Landscaping,

About us

Hi, I'm Umar Mycka, the Poison Ivy Horticulturist. I identify and remove poison ivy plants from residential and commercial properties in Philadelphia and surrounding regions – including the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Education and Background - Graduate of Temple University, Suma Cum Laude, 1985 - Horticulture A.S. Abilities - 36 years as a public garden Horticulturist for the Philadelphia Zoo. Graduate of Fast Trac New Venture - Entrepreneurship Program, Womens Business Development Center, Philadelphia, PA. June, 2008 - present, Poison Ivy Horticulturist business Owner, 300 clients including Paramount Pictures. June, 2010 and June, 2011 - Taught course on nuisance plants for Environmental & Public Health -NJ at the State Health Inspectors at Rutgers University. Certified & Licensed Commercial Pesticide Applicator in 4 states. Please see this CBS article: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/06/19/you-dont-want-poison-ivy/

Business highlights

19 years of trusted experience
Emergency Services Offered

Services we offer

Identify and remove the Poison Ivy and other invasive plants from Residential and Commercial properties.

Services we don't offer

Lawn Mowing, Leaf Raking, Shrub Planting, Tree Trimming, Paver Installation, Landscaping, Lawn Fertilization.

Amenities

Senior Discount

$10

Emergency Services
Yes


Accepted payment methods

Check

Photos of past projects

Reviews

4.936 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
89%
4
0%
3
6%
2
0%
1
6%


Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.7
professionalism
4.9
responsiveness
4.8
punctuality
4.9
Showing 26-36 of 36 reviews

Barbara T.
09/2017
5.0
lawn treatment
  + -1 more
It went very well.
Description of Work: Poison ivy had cropped up throughout the property due to lack of attention. Umar educated me as did his workers about identifying and learning the habit of poison ivy. The workers were polite, reliable, and returned to eradicate some overlooked plants due to the challenge of the site.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Richard D.
07/2016
5.0
lawn treatment
  + -1 more
unknown

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000

Lois B.
12/2015
5.0
lawn service, lawn treatment
  + 0 more
unknown
Description of Work: They have come to remove poison ivy on two occasions. It is not always clear as to when they plan to come. The job done was very professional and efficient. The team that removed the poison ivy were very respectful and careful.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
4.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$100

JOAN C.
12/2014
5.0
landscaping, lawn treatment
  + 0 more
unknown
Description of Work: Umar Mycka was very pleasant on the phone, and he came to evaluate my poison ivy infestation and give me an estimate within two days of our conversation. He carefully examined the property and marked both the vines to be removed and the plants to be left, making notes for his crew. They were able to come do the work the very next day, and they were punctual, cordial, and efficient. They dug out and pulled down the poison ivy from all four locations, cut back some wild roses that had been over-running the property, and actually carted away some random brush piles (that I would have had to sort and bundle up for the township to remove) along with every scrap of the poison ivy. It was worth every penny, and I could not be happier.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,600

jacqueline S.
08/2014
5.0
lawn treatment
  + -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: The gentleman was most helpful....checked our lawn and gave us invaluable info about where the poison ivy was and more importantly wasn't....very kind, professional and efficient....his price was beyond our budget but we highly recommend him to anyone who needs a pro. the price included not only poison ivy removal but major yard work on a large property. jackie

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
value
3.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

$1,350

Patricia Z.
07/2014
5.0
lawn treatment
  + -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: I had an extremely bad poison ivy invasion. Umar and his crew spent an entire day digging it out and even attacking it on the edge of the woods where it was coming into my property. It was a lot of very hard work getting the larger, older thick roots out of the ground. They even dug up a massive, several inches around, vine that was growing up an oak tree. Umar initially came out and assessed the situation, gave me a date when he would be out and a written estimate, and he and his crew were there promptly on June 21. I can call him with any questions and he is so helpful and willing to make sure I do not ever have a poison ivy problem again such as I just had. Umar is so knowledgable, professional, and a wonderful person too. He was genuinely concerned with my poison ivy problem and assured me that he would take care of it and he did. I will definitely keep in touch with him so that I never have a poison ivy problem again. Thank you Umar and your great crew for all your help.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,500

Joe G.
01/2013
5.0
landscaping, lawn service, lawn treatment
  + 1 more
They were great. I chose them because they really were the only strict guys that specifically did the poison ivy. They did it all by hand, it was not chemicals, or anything because I have a dog, so that was the best option. It was really good. They were awesome. A guy came out, looked at everything, gave me a quote, came back, did it and it was exactly how much he had said. He pointed out some other plants I should get rid of from my backyard that dogs are allergic to, so that was awesome. He answered emails immediately from his phone even when he was not at the office. He was super nice.
Description of Work: I used Poison Ivy Horticulturist to remove all the poison ivy in my backyard.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$800

Kirsten L.
05/2012
5.0
landscaping, lawn service, lawn treatment
  + 1 more
We recently purchased a house and were surprised to find out that we had a significant poison ivy problem. We tried to find someone who could address it, but no one else was willing to even discuss the issue. One of the landscapers wasn't even willing to cut the vines during the spring. We found Umar through the internet and called he. He came to our house to give us an estimate to remove the poison ivy from our partially wooded back yard and remove it from 4 trees. He quoted $1300 to remove the ivy from about 2/3 of the area (~1/4 of an acre). The ivy was spread throughout the area and plants were visible approximately every 2-3 feet (we had a flowering vine up a tree who dispatched seeds each year). They came to do the job about 2 weeks later. On the day of the job, Umar and 3 other workers came to our yard. Umar tied up ribbons to designate where they were cleaning. After about 7 hours, they had pulled 154 lbs of poison ivy out...strand by strand and cut down the vines from 4 trees to about 10 feet in height. I don't think that my husband and I would have ever gotten the job done. While the price seemed a bit high, we couldn't find anyone else to help us so it made it worth it. We will be asking Umar to come back this summer (2012) to clean out the plants that were missed or that sprouted after he was here. His estimate for this job would be about half the price of the first, and it would help to address our problem. In addition to helping us with our poison ivy problem, Umar gave us advice about how to handle our yard. His 30+ years of experience as a horticulturalist for the Philadelphia Zoo make him a great resource, and he has a very friendly personality. If you have a poison ivy problem, I give Umar my strongest recommendation.
Description of Work: We had poison ivy removed from our wooded backyard.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,300

Lisa A.
04/2012
5.0
landscaping, lawn service, lawn treatment
  + 1 more
I can't say enough about this lovely and wise and gentle Umar Mycka. He is a rare man of honor. Talking to him is a joy. In these days, one rarely meets such a man of integrity and one who makes you feel like you are back in another generation. Oh how I wish there were more people do to business with such as Umar. My lawn looks great, I feel like I absolutely got my money's worth and I know that the job was done correctly. I have told everyone I know about Umar and his green thumb! (He knows the name of every tree, flower, grass...) Don't hesitate if you need to get rid of your poison ivy!!
Description of Work: Umar was recommended to me by my rheumatologist after I got poison ivy and a horrible rash last year. I further read a review about this lovely man in a New York paper. He is quite an authority on poison ivy removal. So Umar has been to my house a couple of times before this current review. Umar arrived with his assistant, Hodgie after we agreed upon a convenient time for both of us. He decided to split the work over two days (late afternoon) in the same week. Poison ivy, which I don't have too much of, is identified and removed. Umar was extremely exacting in how he searched for all of the roots to make sure there was no trace left of poison ivy. Fortunately for me, I needed some bushes pruned, another bush removed and debris removed from the yard to prepare the lawn for the spring. My lawn is confusing as it is one big rock garden and it is hard for the average lawn service to differentiate a weed from a flower. Umar understands exactly what stays and what goes. He got rid of the bad stuff and left the good. He also put down mulch for me. Upon completion, clean-up is immaculate. Not only that, but everything is taken away in the truck.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$410

Diana V.
07/2009
5.0
lawn treatment
  + -1 more
Umar is EXTREMELY knowledgable about all sort of plants--he told us the names of everything we asked him! He is SO nice, and has a teacher's sensibility about him--he likes to share info with you, and I found it just so fascinating to be with him! He knows so much about plants. One day, he came over to scope out the poison ivy in our yard. There was a lot. Not a ridiculous amount, he said, but a lot. He gave me options for what we could do--remove all of it, remove some of it, etc. I chose to remove only the poison ivy near where we might go, and leave the rest for later. Some weeks later, he came with his assistant, who was also VERY nice. They went to twon on our poison ivy, and cleaned up our hedges, as well! I am now so happy that it's gone, and happy that I have someone as kind and caring as Umar taking care of it.
Description of Work: Umar identified and removed the poison ivy in my backyard.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$450

ELIZABETH B.
11/2008
5.0
lawn treatment
  + -1 more
Our 1/2 acre yard had many spots where poison ivy was growing. Umar came and identified all the plants-many we did not even know about because he was so thorough. He recommended a treatment to kill all plants and eradicate the roots to prevent further problems. He and his helper spent most of a day treating the plants individually with an herbicide applied just to those plants(the least toxic solution)and returned three weeks later to pull any roots remaining.
Description of Work: Identified and eradicated all poison ivy.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$640

Response from POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST
HI THIS IS UMAR MYCKA,THE POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST. MY GOAL IS TO "CURE YOUR POISON IVY CHALLENGE". POISON IVY SKIN RASH IS A PAINFUL AND FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. WE UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS THAT THE POISON IVY PLANTS USE TO GROW ON YOUR PROPERTY. WE IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND GET TO WORK SO THAT YOU CAN ONCE AGAIN FEEL AT EASE AND COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE. NOW THERE IS A CURE FOR YOUR POISON IVY CHALLENGE. CALL OR EMAIL ME FOR A CONSULTATION. THANK YOU AND HOPING YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL GROWING SEASON IN 2009.
    • 1
    • 2(current)

Contact information

5708 OVERBROOK AVE, Philadelphia, PA 19131

http://www.idontwantpoisonivy.com/

Licensing

Insured
State Contractor License Requirements

All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.

*Contact business to see additional licenses.


Service Categories

Lawn Fertilization & Treatment,
Lawn and Yard Work,
Landscaping,
Pavers and Hardscaping

FAQ

POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST is currently rated 4.9 overall out of 5.
POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST accepts the following forms of payment: Check
No, POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST does not offer free project estimates.
No, POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST offers emergency services.
No, POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST does not offer warranties.
POISON IVY HORTICULTURIST offers the following services: Identify and remove the Poison Ivy and other invasive plants from Residential and Commercial properties.
Lawn Mowing, Leaf Raking, Shrub Planting, Tree Trimming, Paver Installation, Landscaping, Lawn Fertilization.

Contact information

5708 OVERBROOK AVE, Philadelphia, PA 19131

http://www.idontwantpoisonivy.com/