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Index : Pests
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- 3. Choosing and Using Garden Sprayers - Top
- From time to time, every home gardener needs an effective sprayer to deal with garden and landscape pest problems. Soap and oil sprays, weed killers, insecticides, and fungicides must be applied with the right tool to be effective.
The best types of garden sprayer are those that can be pressurized to apply a fine spray mist. It’s the fine mist that provides the best and most uniform leaf coverage and thus the best control of insects, weeds and disease.
For small jobs, like the spraying of houseplants and small patio plants, a quart-sized misting bottle works just fine. The pressure is applied by pumping the trigger, and the nozzle can be adjusted to provide a fine mist. These are the least expensive type of sprayers.
Small non-aerosol plastic pump sprayers are best for spraying larger potted plants, flowers, vegetables and small shrubs. They’re pumped up to build pressure and operated by pressing down on a thumb trigger to release the spray. Ideal for small jobs, they’re light enough (even when filled) to hold and operate with one hand. Small pump sprayers hold up to two quarts of spray material, with adjustable spray nozzles for settings from coarse to fine.
Large pump sprayers for home use range in a size from one-half to three gallons spray capacity. They’re best for spraying medium to large shrubs and small trees up to 15 feet high. Pressurized sprayers have a spray wand with adjustable nozzle connected to a tank pressurized with a hand pump. You can purchase replacement parts for the more expensive models, should the need arise.
Whatever the size, I recommend sprayers made of plastic. Their less expensive, lighter and more durable than metal sprayers. And because they’re relatively inexpensive, you can purchase separate ones dedicated to applying a specific type of pesticide be it insecticide, fungicide or herbicide.
It’s important to note that sprayers used to apply weed killers should not be use to apply other types of sprays. For instance, if you mix an insecticide in a sprayer formerly used to apply weed killer, any residual herbicide in the tank, no matter how slight, can harm desirable plants! So, dedicate one sprayer for the task of weed control and mark it in bold print with a permanent marker: “Weed Control Only”. If you apply both post-emergent (contact) weed controls, such as Roundup, and pre-emergent (preventative) materials such as Surflan, it’s best have a separate sprayer for each.
To keep your sprayer working it’s best, rinse it out after each use. Operate the sprayer with clear water to rinse the tank supply tube and nozzle of all soap, oil or pesticide in the sprayer. To reduce wasted spray material, first spray all or a portion of the plants or area to be sprayed with clear water. This will give you a good idea of the amount of spray material needed to be mixed to do the job.
When applying soaps, oils and insecticides adjust the nozzle of your sprayer to deliver a fine spray mist. This will be more effective in covering both the top and underside of plant leaves, important in controlling insect pests. Use a slightly coarser spray when applying contact herbicides such as Roundup. These products are most effective when enough spray is applied to thoroughly wet the leaf surface of the weeds.
Coarse, solid stream sprays, with the nozzle turned wide open, should only be used when a longer spray stream is needed to reach up into small and medium-sized trees.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
520-626-5161. - Updated: January 14, 2007
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