You should be able to pull these plants with gloves and could even take an extra precaution by wearing a mask. You just don’t want any sap, liquid, or any other part of the plant to be ingested or absorbed through the eyes or elsewhere. It can cause rash if you don’t wear gloves. Once in a while when I’m worried, I have put on nitrile or latex gloves (like you’d see in a Dr. office) and have those on under my garden gloves to make sure I don’t get a rash.

As far as what effect the plants would have on your garden produce, I’m not certain, but my hunch is that they won’t affect your produce adversely. Please contact the OSU Master Gardeners for more information on this portion of your question. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/linn-benton

Michael Ahr
July 15, 2021, 10:56 p.m.