Spraying Equipment for the Home Garden

Any insecticide-fungicide spray program can only be as successful as the accuracy and consistency of the equipment used. Finding fully satisfactory spray equipment is often not easy for the home growers. Seek advice from others, read online reviews and then make a trial of various types until you find a system most satisfactory for your needs.

Among the most commons problems are:

• Ease of filling and handling the equipment
• Ease of moving or transporting equipment around the garden
• Obtaining necessary agitation during spraying
• Maintaining strong spray stream
• Stopping-up of the nozzle during spraying

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• Proper dilution of chemicals through the self-diluting garden hose sprayers

There are basically three types of sprayers most widely used by experienced rose and landscape gardeners today.

1. Pump-up compressed air sprayers 1-5 gallon capacity. The operator fills tank with finished spray mixture and pumps air into the closed chamber to provide pressure for spraying. Backpack sprayers would also fit in this group.

2. Garden hose sprayers - 1-2 gallon capacity. The operator pours concentrate in spray bottle and water pressure supplies pressure for spraying and automatic dilution.

3. Small power sprayers - 6-20 gallon capacity. The operator fills tank with finished spray mixture and an engine usually gasoline supplies power for spraying.

Pump-Up Sprayers

The pump-up sprayers most often hold 1 to 5 gallons of finished spray material. If carried manually, their weight becomes a problem (a filled three-gallon sprayer weighs over 25 pounds). The backpack type straps on the gardeners back. The simpler sprayers cost around $10.00, backpacks usually run about $125 or more for a quality sprayer from companies like SOLO.

The two main problems with this type of sprayer is the stopping-up of the nozzle by coarse wettable powders during the spraying operation and loss of pressure after initial spraying resulting in frequent pump-up operation to maintain satisfactory pressure for efficient spraying. And, with a very large garden, this pumping becomes a laborious chore. Since these sprayers do not have self-agitation, they should be shaken occasionally during spraying. This type usually is not convenient for tall climbers or for large numbers of plants but are at their best for smaller gardens and for use with liquid concentrates or very finely ground wettable powders.

Garden Hose Sprayers

The garden hose sprayer has become very popular over the years. Its great advantages are, the water pressure supplies the pressure for the spraying operation and the automatic dilution system permits the gardener to carry just one quart which when diluted equals six gallons of finished spray. These sprayers are limited by the length of the hose and by the inconvenience of dragging a hose behind at all times but sometimes more severely by the inaccuracy of the dilution mechanism and the chance of failure of the suction mechanism resulting in spraying water alone with the operator being unaware.

It is strongly recommended that the mechanism and accuracy of your garden hose spray be checked. We have seen some which were disastrously erroneous. Check the dilution rate by filling the sprayer bottle with water or insecticide-fungicide mixture up to the 1, 2, or 3 gallon mark and then spray into a measuring can or bottle (like a one-gallon jug). Exactly one gallon should have been discharged when the contents drop from the 3 gallon level to the 2 gallon level. etc.

The other major problem with garden hose sprayers is the possibility of stopping-up or malfunction of the suction that brings the insecticide-fungicide mixture into the water stream. This is particularly possible when using wettable powders not ground especially fine and should be checked when using any new wettable powder for the first time. This can he done by carrying a small bottle or glass during the spraying operation and collecting some spray at intervals and observing whether it is cloudy or milky or clear water. In the latter case you are spraying pure water.

If these two problems can be conquered and checked from time to time the garden hose sprayer is very satisfactory for gardens of 100 or 200 bushes or plants. There are now several dozen makes and models of garden hose sprayers. some much better than others. You should not be satisfied with one giving continuing operating problems. With some quick searching online can find one with a strong spray, a desirable spray pattern, a minimum tendency to stop up or lose suction, a proper calibration and a convenient on and off switch. For on and off systems some sprayers have a thumb-hole which causes suction when covered, pure water being sprayed when the hole is not covered. Others have on-and-off switch cutting off the flow of water and causing some pressure in the hose, this is not satisfactory with very high water pressures. Either type is usually satisfactory if efficient and convenient for the particular operator.

Power Sprayers

Many landscape gardens with several hundred or more bushes have found the a small gas power sprayer to be nearly ideal. The cost, approximately $350 and up, is the major deterrent, the only other major problem is keeping it in good operating condition. The gardener must be something of a mechanic, he must keep moving parts and all spray gun adjustments clean and well oiled at all time or they will stick and become useless. In this regard it is a good practice to be especially careful to clean up and oil all parts at the end of each spraying, remove all nozzles, handles and plugs and oil the threads.

Spraying the next time will be much easier with a clean machine in good working order. These sprayers commonly hold 10, 20 or 50 gallons of mixed spray, are usually mounted on wheels and have long hoses and very convenient adjustable spray guns. Because of its weight this type may present a problem of moving it about the yard, transportation is easier on concrete surfaces. A very strong spray in if variety of spray patterns allows a very efficient spray job, and a stream of spray is thrown 20 to 30 feet or more. This is especially good for high climbers and large rose gardens. as well as trees, shrubs and lawns.

Conclusion

Whatever sprayer type is chosen it is of utmost importance that it be one giving good and consistent results with a minimum of difficulties. Many gardeners have achieved this with the pump-up compressed air sprayer: some with garden hose sprayers: and those having large gardens with small power sprayers. If this has not been achieved you cannot hope for good pest control - and other types of equipment should be tried until you do achieve it.

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