# faster way to spread weed killer



## jamiedolan (Sep 2, 2008)

Rent or buy a unit like this and pull it behind a mower or ATV.









wengang1 said:


> Hi all.
> I have a 300-foot gravel road going through my property that I have to spray regularly with Round-Up to keep it from getting overgrown. I used to do it with a one-gallon hand pump pressure sprayer (with the tiny nozzle), and that was too slow, so I bought a 4-gallon backpack sprayer with a crank arm to add pressure. That saves all the stopping and mixing time, but it still takes hours to do it that way. Is there some way to get this done faster (like less than one hour)? I have to do this several times in spring and summer and it just takes too long.
> BTW, I have grass lawn on either side of this road so the method has to be relatively controllable in terms of precision.
> Thanks.


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## wengang1 (Jan 19, 2010)

oh yeah!
I knew there had to be sth like that out there, I just couldn't think of the right words to find it.
Looks like plenty of models to choose from too.
Thanks a lot.

Gary


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## moondawg (Dec 17, 2008)

wengang1 said:


> oh yeah!
> I knew there had to be sth like that out there, I just couldn't think of the right words to find it.
> Looks like plenty of models to choose from too.
> Thanks a lot.
> ...


If you get one with a boom it will go really fast. and you can still use the wand for spot spraying.


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## wengang1 (Jan 19, 2010)

Hey thanks for the advice.
I have to admit, I can't figure out what the boom is though.
Here is an excerpt from a model I looked at:
"This broadcast sprayer with a large capacity 26-gallon tank is great for applying chemicals to large and small areas. 40in. boom with left/right nozzle control. Flexible Lexan® boom arms will not bend, kink or break."
So what is the boom, and what is the difference from a model that does not have one?
I see the wand in the picture, and I assume the boom is this framework on the back with tubes on it, but what is the difference?
Thanks.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

the boom would be the bar that allows the spray heads to be mounted. You can get equipemtne with a variety of boom widths


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

Nap,
Love you but that guy in the photo is asking for chemical poisoning. Walking through wet pesticides with tennis shoes is NO-NO!

Wengang,
You need to treat your drive with a soil sterilant or at the very least a pre-emergent. Glyphosate only kills actively growing weeds, it does nothing to prevent them from returning.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

downunder said:


> Nap,
> Love you but that guy in the photo is asking for chemical poisoning. Walking through wet pesticides with tennis shoes is NO-NO!


very good observation. :thumbup:Wasn't considering that when I nabbed the pic. Just trying to explain a boom.



so, did you catch that wengang?

do not walk, drive, run, or play in the mist or wetted ground immediately following pesticide application. Use proper personal protective equipment for the job.


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## PAbugman (Jun 29, 2010)

I was going to suggest soil sterilant also, but the lawn on either side of the driveway might preclude that time and labor and $$$ saving idea. Run-off to the sides could be an issue. How important are the lawn edges on either side?

Doesn't seem like it should take hours with a backpack. Are you spraying the entire driveway or just the actively growing weeds? No point in spraying anything other than active weeds with roundup. 4 gallons should go a long way.


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

downunder said:


> that guy in the photo is asking for chemical poisoning. Walking through wet pesticides with tennis shoes is NO-NO!
> .


Maybe the guy in photo is putting down an organic fertilizer! :whistling2:


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

> Maybe the guy in photo is putting down an organic fertilizer! :whistling2:


Could be, but this thread is about applying pesticides and whatever the applicator in the advertisement may or may not be applying, most reasonably intelligent people would presume that the OP would be using the equipment for potentially hazardous chemicals. Tennis shoes are not appropriate PPE clothing!


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

So i guess you are saying I am not reasonably intelligent!! I get what the threads about, you didn't say the op shouldn't wear tennies, you said the guy in the picture shouldn't. no need to be passive agressive and defensive, it was a joke


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## wengang1 (Jan 19, 2010)

hey thanks for all the replies.
i didn't get another email, so I didn't know anybody else had posted
:huh:

So what is a known sterilant (like I could find it at Lowes or Home Depot)?
I have been spraying the entire road, and the last couple of years it has virtually overgrown. In fact this year, it looks more like lawn than gravel.
The irritating thing about the backpack is that the roundup comes out so slowly, I have to stand there and do the road in little strips. I kept imagining there must be something out there (I was even thinking like a pressure washer) that would shoot the stuff out faster/farther/wider so I could move faster and get the work done.

So if the road were a leveled road cut into a gentle slope, then applying the sterilant would risk killing all the grass on the downhill side?
Also, is it a liquid or something that mixes in water, so that I can use it in this kind of sprayer?

Thanks all.


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

a pound of salt mixed with a gallon of vinegar will work as a soil steriliant. Mix more to fill your applicator. it will kill grass, so keep it from running into lawns, shrubs, etc


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

wengang1
Yes, you can get a sterilant at any major retailer. That is exactly what it is called. The container will advertise that it will keep the treated area clear of vegetation for six months to a year. You should not get runoff if applied correctly but keep in mind that roots of nearby plants can be affected. So it depends somewhat on what is next to the driveway.
I would prefer to use a glyphosate type product (non-selective herbicide) to kill everything in a directed application then follow up with a pre-emergent. Pre-m will not hurt you lawn or nearby plants, it will simply prevent anything else from germinating and coming up. So the only "side effect" will be no weeds in the lawn, etc.




> Walking through wet pesticides with tennis shoes is NO-NO!





> you didn't say the op shouldn't wear tennies, you said the guy in the picture shouldn't.


Please re-read. I DID NOT say whom should not wear tennis shoes. NO ONE should apply pesticides walking directly behind a spray wearing tennis shoes.



> it was a joke


What was? The crack about organic fertilizers? I think it is in poor taste to make "a joke" about someone else's safety.


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

I don't want to hijack this thread, but since i know how much you like to argue:



downunder said:


> Nap,
> Love you* but that guy in the photo is asking for chemical poisoning*. Walking through wet pesticides with tennis shoes is NO-NO!
> .


I guess he would be, if the stuff in the tank is chemical, but he isn't if it's not. the thread might be about herbicides, but the picture might not be.

Regardless it was intended as a joke, let it go man!! There is no need to get so defensive.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

nap said:


> very good observation. :thumbup:Wasn't considering that when I nabbed the pic. Just trying to explain a boom.
> 
> do not walk, drive, run, or play in the mist or wetted ground immediately following pesticide application. Use proper personal protective equipment for the job.


I remember running in the fog behind the truck spraying for mosquitoes in Myrtle Beach
To this day mosquitoes will not bite me


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

Scuba_Dave said:


> To this day mosquitoes will not bite me


a funny end (hint) to a thread going off track.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

Not defensive at all over someone who can't read and thinks safety is a joke!:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

Depending on what you end up using, it might be a good idea NOT to mow the grass/weeds before you apply the killer. Many of these are absorbed through the leaves, so the longer the grass and weeds are, the better the odds of killing it off. Think about trying the salt and vinegar, it works well, is cheap and readily available, and not likely to turn up on a list of carcinagens in the next 10 years. good luck


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

> Depending on what you end up using, it might be a good idea NOT to mow the grass/weeds before you apply the killer. Many of these are absorbed through the leaves, so the longer the grass and weeds are, the better the odds of killing it off.


See, now there's an intelligent post that offers a directly helpful suggestion. I agree completely. Not only that, but if one uses a weedeater to knock back high vegetation, that waste material will be on top of what your are trying to treat and act as a quasi-umbrella, preventing a successful application.


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

downunder said:


> See, now there's an intelligent post that offers a directly helpful suggestion.


Gee.... thanks


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## dirtrider73068 (Feb 24, 2010)

We spray weeds and grass every year at my work, and use different brands of round up. A back pack sprayer if done right can spray a long ways if spot spraying and pending on the tip how much material you are applying. I would suggest doing a once over with round up, it will take a week pending how hot you mix it, I go with my mix 3ounces per gallon, then after its all dead you can put down a pre-emergent, some of those have to be lightly watered in, there is a mix, or granules. The thing with pre-emergent is they create a barrier when the seeds germinate they hit the barrier and die off, if that barrier is broke weeds will grow through. 

Since its on a gravel driveway I would recommend, doing a first round with a weed killer, then after those are gone and dead treating with a soil sterilizer. There are different ones, and ways of doing this. Keeping in mind weed killer will kill anything green, don't apply with it windy, soil sterilizer may be likely to run off if it rains, check the labels. You can get 10-15 gallon tank sprayers powered by motors hooked to a battery and can be bolted to anything ridering mowers, or even a wagon. Some do have booms that can be hooked up as well.


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## PAbugman (Jun 29, 2010)

Soil sterilants will kill existing weeds as well as prevent new growth. Generally the sterilants kill weeds much slower than the translocated herbicides (glyphosates, etc.). Instead of treating twice with different herbicides I would consider treating once.

If weeds are tall and well established, remove them prior to sterilant application. With most sterilants you are treating the roots rather than the leaves, but just the opposite with glyphosates and broadleaf herbicides. 
Mowing, weed whacking, and removing the denser cuttings and then applying sterilant is a good option. Using Roundup (glyphosate) will kill standing weeds, but they won't disappear, just turn brown. 

It's kind of late in the season, at least here in the East, for herbiciding. Weeds need to be actively growing in order for the translocation (leaves) or systemic (roots) actions.


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## wengang1 (Jan 19, 2010)

ok.
just a couple of thoughts.
1. on the tow behind sprayer that does not have the boom, what are you doing? riding along with the mower pointing the wand?
2. what salt is this? table salt? white vinegar? do i just load up on boxes of morton's and jugs of white house, or are there bigger bags?
I don't suppose I could use that big stuff that I put in my water filtration system, could I? probably take a long time to dissolve.
also, would that salt recrystallize later and gum up the works?
I assume the tank, the wand, hoses all have to be thoroughly rinsed out after using, right?

thanks again all for a lively discussion and advice.
Gary


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## PAbugman (Jun 29, 2010)

Vinegar and salt in my spraying eqpt makes me nervous. Acidic and corrosive. I would use plastic only, as much as possible. With a powered sprayer, their will be more than just plastic parts. If I used vinegar/salt in my eqpt. I would rinse and clean it more thoroughly than I do for insecticide/herbicides. 

Didn't the ancient Romans use salt to sterilize the crop fields of their enemies? 
Grade school was a long time ago.


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## dirtrider73068 (Feb 24, 2010)

wengang1 said:


> ok.
> just a couple of thoughts.
> 1. on the tow behind sprayer that does not have the boom, what are you doing? riding along with the mower pointing the wand?
> 2. what salt is this? table salt? white vinegar? do i just load up on boxes of morton's and jugs of white house, or are there bigger bags?
> ...


Most tank sprayers can and do come with a boom, if it doesn't then yes you can ride along with the wand in hand and spot spray, that does help and is faster since you don't do all the walking.
I have using salt and the grass won't grow back, haven't tried it personally, my uncle has with no result, may need to mix it strong.
Yes you would need to rinse out the tank boom and wand after use of any spray, it best too. One incase you want to spray say fertilizer with it, round up or glyphosate can be corrosive if it sits in a tank, the rubber will break down. To rinse round up out of a tank, once its empty just put some water in it, doesn't have to be full, then spray it out, not going on good grass since there is residue of round up still in the tank, go along a fence line, or down the road, or something like that, its best to do a triple rinse to make sure its all out. Most any place will have tank sprayers, northen tools, harbor freight might, atwoods, lowes home depot to name a few. Shop around online you will find them.


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## Mike in Arkansas (Dec 29, 2008)

Hose end sprayer? I have this one with adjustable metering. http://www.google.com/products/cata...og_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q8wIwAA#


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## sdcurt (Oct 10, 2010)

Hey Wang,

Save yourself some time, mix the non-selective and the pre-emergent in the same tank load. Always add a non-ionic surfactant. If you want the grass on the sides...stay away from any soil sterilization products, they are unstable in the soil and will move with very little water, and you want have grass on the sides either.


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## dirtrider73068 (Feb 24, 2010)

I don't see how the pre emergant is going to work since it creates a barrier to keep weeds from growing, and being its a driveway once he drives down it the first time it breaks that barrier. Why get somebody that has a small tank and boom sprayer and spray it real good then keep up with it with a back pack sprayer, it woiuld have to be sprayed about once a month. Or even they have wand sprayers that you can get 3-4 tips on one wand and spray a wider area.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

> I don't see how the pre emergant is going to work since it creates a barrier to keep weeds from growing, and being its a driveway once he drives down it the first time it breaks that barrier.


You're right, you don't see. Your understanding is incorrect but feel free to think whatever you like. May I suggest reading some of the MSDS and manufacturer's labels?


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## dirtrider73068 (Feb 24, 2010)

downunder said:


> You're right, you don't see. Your understanding is incorrect but feel free to think whatever you like. May I suggest reading some of the MSDS and manufacturer's labels?


Ok if your that smart, what is the correct thinking, since this is what I was told by another guy that dealt with pre emergent. Since your coming off rude about it, instead of explaining the correct way and explaining how it works. I don't deal with this stuff everyday, I may have to once in a blue moon help the guy apply it to the flower beds at work.


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## sdcurt (Oct 10, 2010)

dirtrider73068 said:


> Ok if your that smart, what is the correct thinking, since this is what I was told by another guy that dealt with pre emergent. Since your coming off rude about it, instead of explaining the correct way and explaining how it works. I don't deal with this stuff everyday, I may have to once in a blue moon help the guy apply it to the flower beds at work.


You would probably have better luck with the gravel driveway than a flower bed when using a pre-emergent. In the drive once the product has "washed" in to the soil your barrier should stay in place and most of it not be disturbed. However using a pre-emergent in a flower bed is a waste of time and money. 2 reasons; 1) If you apply before planting the flowers, you will surely break the barrier when you plant the flowers. 2) You will stunt the root growth of the flower if you apply after planting. So your either wasting expensive product that won't be effective or you will have crappy looking flowers. Either way you're wasting time and money. Not to mention every time you replace some of the color you have disturbed the zone.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

I work for a govt parks department. My job description is for landscaping and I managed to inherit working on playgrounds. They noticed that I also have a CDL license so on occasion I have to drive a dump truck but that is nowhere in my job description and I am digressing.

I am a GCLP, Master Gardener, Commercial Pesticide Applicator, and certified in Erosion and Sediment Control. I had a 3.94 GPA on the President's List in college. 


> Ok if your that smart,


So yes, I am smart. And I have the training to back it up.

Now that that's out of the way, I don't really like pulling weeds. I have a bad back, arthritis, bursitis, a hernia, and hemmorrhoids. So if I can find an easier way to do things, I do. For me, it has been my experience that pre-emergents do work very well in flower beds, especially when applied properly.



> 2 reasons; 1) If you apply before planting the flowers, you will surely break the barrier when you plant the flowers. 2) You will stunt the root growth of the flower if you apply after planting. So your either wasting expensive product that won't be effective or you will have crappy looking flowers.


1. That is precisely the method directed on the label of some. But what does the company that made the product know?
2. Absolutely! You got that one right IF you apply just after planting. I wait about three weeks.

And just to sound like a S....A.., I have been recoginized by the Chamber of Commerce for commercial properties for my flower beds. So somebody must like my work. But I thought this thread was about a driveway.


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## sdcurt (Oct 10, 2010)

downunder said:


> I work for a govt parks department. My job description is for landscaping and I managed to inherit working on playgrounds. They noticed that I also have a CDL license so on occasion I have to drive a dump truck but that is nowhere in my job description and I am digressing.
> 
> I am a GCLP, Master Gardener, Commercial Pesticide Applicator, and certified in Erosion and Sediment Control. I had a 3.94 GPA on the President's List in college.
> 
> ...


Too bad the Gov Park you work for can't see you're genius. A person with your accommodations and 3.94 GPA should be running the department instead of doing landscaping, working on playgrounds and driving a dump truck. Surely somebody at the Chamber of Commerce could recognize your qualifications and put in a word for you. I bow to your greatness.


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