Scrounger said:
I need some advice from the lawn car pros on the list. If I'm looking for just lawn care use, are spray fertilizers generally better than spreading dry fertilizers and weed killers? I'd be mounting the sprayer on a 3ph or a box hitch on the 3ph.
I would be spraying my 1.5 acre plus a few neighbors lots too.
Someone will chime in with this so I might as well get it done right from the get-go. You can apply pesticides and fertilizer on your own property, so long as they're not restricted use products without any certification. When you take the show off your property, you need state certification for pesticide use in all states, and certification to spread liquid or granular fertilizers in MOST states. Most lawn care companies that handle those jobs are certified. They "police" the guys who violate the laws to protect their own interests. It can be VERY expensive if you get caught. This applies to "for hire" or just for "free gratis" off your own property. And this doesn't even begin to tackle the issue of restricted use chemicals, of which there are many. One of the initial requirements for certification is proof of insurance for pesticide application. That requires proper training, as well as ALL the required equipment (wind meters, spill clean-up equipment and supplies, proper respirators, protective clothing, record keeping, and knowledge of the business in general)
You can't even purchase restricted use products without proper certification.
That said, liquid fertilizers are easier to handle and spray IF you have the proper equipment. For small scale operations, the change-over from one type fertilizer to another is substancially easier with dry granular though. Initial start-up investment is considerable less expensive for dry too. For smaller applications, a drop spreader is more accurate and less waste than a broadcast spreader in some cases.
For the record, pesticides are ANYTHING chemical that kills ANYTHING when applied, be it insects, weeds, disease, ect.
It's far more involved than just buying a spreader or sprayer unless you like to pay hefty fines. Farmers have to comply, lawn care companies have to comply, golf courses have to comply, even homeowners must comply if they use any restricted use products.
...and the rules keep getting tougher and tougher as time goes by as you might imagine.
