How to Use a Weed Sprayer to Eliminate Weeds

Weeds are an inconvenience for your crops. Here's how to use a weed sprayer to kill off those unwanted weeds.

Tired of all that weed growing in your front lawn? Then it's time to take action and kill them where they stand.

Weeds can be dangerous for the ecosystem in your lawn. They compete with your other plants for the nutrients in the ground, for space, and for sunlight. They are more persistent, meaning they'll more likely win over your plants.

Thankfully, you don't need to call a gardener to take care of them for you. There is a simple but effective solution: weed sprayer.

Not all sprayers are the same. Using them is also more complicated than aiming and spraying whenever you feel like it too. To help you get on the right track, here are a few guidelines to follow.

Wear Proper Attire

Herbicides contain harmful chemicals. As such, you wouldn't want it in contact with your eyes and skin. Dress yourself up from head to toe to avoid accidentally spraying yourself with it with:

• Safety glasses
• Long sleeves
• Waterproof gloves
• Long pants
• Waterproof closed shoes

After doing the job, wash yourself to make sure that no chemical will remain on your skin. You could suffer from weed killer poisoning so make it a habit to use hazmat gear like gloves and even then always wash your hands after handling the sprayer.

Do it in a Nice Weather

To get the most out of your weed sprayer, we recommend that you watch out for a clear and calm day. Wait for a sunny day if you have to, but you don't want a weather that's too hot! The ideal temperature is below 80 degrees.

There shouldn't have been any rain within 24 hours of spraying. The chemicals typically need to stay on the weed for that long so that the plant has enough time to absorb it. Some formulas even need 48 hours of no rain as it will wash away the product.

There is, however, sprayers that are rainproof. An example is the Drexel Imitator RTU Weed & Grass Killer, which is rainproof for many hours. Note that even if it says that it's rainproof, it's still better to use it when the sun is out and will remain that way for hours.

It's also best to avoid spraying when it's windy, even if the sun looks bright. The wind can blow the chemicals to the surrounding plants that you might not want to die.

Make Sure There's No Moisture

The day might be perfect for killing some weeds, but if it has rained shortly prior, some moisture might be remaining on the leaves. If there's a heavy dew, the chemicals will mix in with the liquid and slide off the leaves. This can reduce the effectiveness because the plant will not absorb it.

Most will also recommend you to spray in the morning. However, you might have to worry about dew still clinging to the leaves if it's too early. Nevertheless, there's no definitive proof yet that the morning dew largely affects the effectiveness of the weed sprayer.

Leave it Be

After spraying, leave the area on its own for about 2 weeks while the weed killer works its way to the roots. Depending on the type of weed, the chemicals might even take 8 weeks to kill it.

This is where patience comes in. You don't want to disturb the weed to make sure that the chemicals have found its way into the root system. Another reason is that you might transfer the chemicals to other plants when you step on the contaminated area.

However, the most important reason is that the exposure might be harmful to you. Let everyone in the household know when you treat an area so that kids and pets will remain inside the house. Usually, you'll only need to keep them away for 48 hours.

While we do recommend to leave the weed killer to its own devices, do check it out from time to time. If the weeds still have some signs of life after 6 weeks, it's time for a second application. Don't worry that the chemicals might not have worked. Tougher variants sometimes need multiple applications before they die off completely.

Measure the Area

Weed killers come in two types: ready to use and concentrated. If you're using the latter, read the instructions to see how much water you'll need to dilute it. To figure out the amount of herbicide you need, measure the area you want to treat.

Get the length then multiply it by the width to get the area. Then, refer to the product's label to see how much of it you'll need for the area.

Spray the Right Area

When we say "spray the right area," we mean two things. One, avoid spraying plants outside the intended area as weed killers are potent. Two, aim for the right part of the weed, and that is the leaves and not the soil.

The plant has to absorb the weed killer by the leaves to maximize its effects. Spraying the leaves will also get all bases covered as the chemicals travel down the roots. However, if you're using a product that prevents the weed from growing, treat the soil as well.

Make sure that the leaves are wet after spraying, but not too wet that the solution starts to flow. Stop just about when it begins to drip off.

Tips to Remember

Before you buy a weed sprayer, read this first and keep them in mind.

Choose the Right Type of Herbicide

Not all weed killers are just that - killers, which we classify as postemergence products. This type targets the ones that are already growing. Then there's pre-emergence, which prevents the weed from sprouting.

Want the benefits of both? There are herbicides that combine the two. There are what we also call "weed and feed" that will prevent the weed from growing while it feeds the ground with nutrients.

Be Careful on the Concentration

If you have a rather tough variety of weed growing on your lawn, don't increase the concentration. Rather, spray a second time.

Store the Sprayer and the Herbicide Carefully

After you've cleaned the sprayer carefully and let it dry out, store them in a place cool, dry place. Keep the formula away from sunlight and don't keep the diluted solution.

Buy Quality Weed Sprayers

Ready to kill the pesky weeds in your backyard? Choose from our wide variety of formulas and equipment. Whatever your needs are, we have the product for it.

Visit us now to get more tips on maintaining your garden or your field.