Spraying round-up/pesticides. Sprayer tips?

[MNBobcat]

I have a tow-behind sprayer with a gas engine and roller pump. Its a sweet sprayer. It has about a 50 foot hose and wand (along with booms) on it.

The challenge I have is when I want to spray something like round-up. I run it, hold the spray wand open running water out but can't tell when the round-up comes out other than maybe a little foam in the water. Then when I go to clean the sprayer, its hard to tell when the fresh water is displacing the round up and when the sprayer is fully clean.

I'm thinking I need some dye to add so that I can tell what's going on with the sprayer. Anyone doing the same or do you have other suggestions? If using a dye, what kind and where do you get it?

 

[dragoneggs]

I have a tow-behind sprayer with a gas engine and roller pump. Its a sweet sprayer. It has about a 50 foot hose and wand (along with booms) on it. The challenge I have is when I want to spray something like round-up. I run it, hold the spray wand open running water out but can't tell when the round-up comes out other than maybe a little foam in the water. Then when I go to clean the sprayer, its hard to tell when the fresh water is displacing the round up and when the sprayer is fully clean. I'm thinking I need some dye to add so that I can tell what's going on with the sprayer. Anyone doing the same or do you have other suggestions? If using a dye, what kind and where do you get it?

Kind of wondered the same. I don't see why a food coloring dye wouldn't work. I will have to give this a try. Thanks for the idea!

 

[farmer2009]

I always just hold the nozzle very close to the ground. One inch maybe. There's a color change when the chemical gets there. Even if it's very faint. It'll turn a milky color. The reverse is true when cleaning.

Any farm supply worth its salt would have your dye. It's an Agricultural Spray Dye. Maybe even TSC. But I've used those dyes. They work but plum suck. You will be hot pink or blue and so will your spray tank and cart. Every time you work on it afterwards you will change colors. I'm talking years.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I always just hold the nozzle very close to the ground. One inch maybe. There's a color change when the chemical gets there. Even if it's very faint. It'll turn a milky color. The reverse is true when cleaning.

Any farm supply worth its salt would have your dye. It's an Agricultural Spray Dye. Maybe even TSC. But I've used those dyes. They work but plum suck. You will be hot pink or blue and so will your spray tank and cart. Every time you work on it afterwards you will change colors. I'm talking years.

But a dozen drops of Red food coloring in a 25-30gal tank wont actually leave it red, and will barely be see, if at all, while being sprayed, but should be just dark enough to tell when the chemical is at the nozzle.

 

[fishheadbob]

My local TSC has the spray die. It's about $15 for a quart of it which is a lifetime supply. A few drops into 15 gallons turns the water whatever color - I prefer my hands to be blue - but I think they have pink also. Good thing is that it is definitely visible to where you can tell hits from misses, and that it disappears in an hour or two. As said above, pick a color your hands will look good in. Seriously it will wash off with soap and water.

 

[farmer2009]

But a dozen drops of Red food coloring in a 25-30gal tank wont actually leave it red, and will barely be see, if at all, while being sprayed, but should be just dark enough to tell when the chemical is at the nozzle.

Maybe so. But you have to be careful adding products that aren't labeled for the use. There could be something in the dye that causes a reaction with the chemical. Like an antagonism situation. Roundup already has enough antagonism problems especially with hard water.

 

[farmer2009]

My local TSC has the spray die. It's about $15 for a quart of it which is a lifetime supply. A few drops into 15 gallons turns the water whatever color - I prefer my hands to be blue - but I think they have pink also. Good thing is that it is definitely visible to where you can tell hits from misses, and that it disappears in an hour or two. As said above, pick a color your hands will look good in. Seriously it will wash off with soap and water.

If it cleans up that easy, then you have something different than I've used. The stuff I used would wear off in a few days/week. . And the tanks would permanently be stained. Sometimes to the point you had trouble seeing through it. Although I don't remember the blue being as bad as the pink.
Used to do research test where you paper clipped papers to plants and then this dye was sprayed over those papers then you went back and collected the papers off to be analyzed.

 

[newbury]

I have a tow-behind sprayer with a gas engine and roller pump. Its a sweet sprayer. It has about a 50 foot hose and wand (along with booms) on it.

The challenge I have is when I want to spray something like round-up. I run it, hold the spray wand open running water out but can't tell when the round-up comes out other than maybe a little foam in the water. Then when I go to clean the sprayer, its hard to tell when the fresh water is displacing the round up and when the sprayer is fully clean.

I'm thinking I need some dye to add so that I can tell what's going on with the sprayer. Anyone doing the same or do you have other suggestions? If using a dye, what kind and where do you get it?

The problem with most dyes is residuals in the tank but if you don't mind everything being the same color that shouldn't matter. As far as cleaning - if I empty the tank and dump in some detergent then when I see foam coming out I figure the hose has been purged.

/edit - and be darned careful using the same equipment for spraying grass killers, broadleaf killers and non-selective and insecticides from the same tank. My Grandfather had a beautiful, carefully tended, 8yr old dwarf apple orchard (about a dozen trees in Northern Vermont). He sprayed oil for bagworms and the tank had been used for a roundup type product before. Wiped out the whole orchard

 

[Retiredguy2]

The problem with most dyes is residuals in the tank but if you don't mind everything being the same color that shouldn't matter. As far as cleaning - if I empty the tank and dump in some detergent then when I see foam coming out I figure the hose has been purged.

/edit - and be darned careful using the same equipment for spraying grass killers, broadleaf killers and non-selective and insecticides from the same tank. My Grandfather had a beautiful, carefully tended, 8yr old dwarf apple orchard (about a dozen trees in Northern Vermont). He sprayed oil for bagworms and the tank had been used for a roundup type product before. Wiped out the whole orchard

I have a hard time understanding how that could occur unless he was using FULL STRENGTH roundup type product from the sprayer originally and left a lot of it in the sprayer before the next use. I use weedlkiller (50% glyphosate} at a 3 ounce per gallon of water ratio and it will barely kill crabgrass shoots. Sorry, I do not buy that story.

 

[DrRod]

I don't understand how you end up with colored hands. Don't you wear gloves? Plain old rubber coated work gloves are fine but you can also get military surplus rubber gloves designed for cleaning up a chemical attack. They reach halfway up your arm and offer decent dexterity. Sportsman's Guide used to carry them and they were quite re4asonably priced. In any case, I think you should wear gloves and eye protection when working with chemicals.