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How to Use a Sprayer
Sprayers are used to apply fertilizers and pesticides on lawns, flowers and shrubs. Knowing how to use these will make you much more successful, so here goes!
There are three basic kinds of sprayers… we will start with hose end sprayers, which simply attach to the end of a water hose. These have a bottle for the concentrated chemical to go in…or some bottles fit directly on the sprayer, no mixing needed. Hose end sprayers are usually used for insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Set the hose end sprayer to the correct number on the dial by reading the chemical label to see how many teaspoon or tablespoons are recommended per gallon. The main dial is for tablespoons and removing this pin and placing it in the tube here will restrict the chemical flow and turn the dial setting into a teaspoon rate. Attach the sprayer to the chemical bottle, turn on the water and spray, soaking the intended plant materials. Coverage is key for control so spray both the top and undersides of leaves and trunk plus any debris under the plant. Hose end sprayers can reach up to 45 feet, depending on water pressure. Plus there is no mixing of chemicals needed!
Pump up sprayers are great for weed control. Measure the chemical according to directions, add it to the container, then add the recommended amount of spreader sticker to increase the chemical’s effectiveness. Put the lid on and swirl it around to mix it. Pump the sprayer up, adjust the nozzle for spray pattern and spray.
With hose end sprayers and pump up sprayers, make sure you triple rinse the container before storing and run water through the nozzles to rinse the applicator.
Last would be a no-clog sprayer, which used to apply a water soluble fertilizer only such as BR-61. This sprayer should not be used for pesticide applications.
That’s it! You are ready to spray your lawn and garden chemicals! Be sure to follow label instructions carefully.