Spraying Roundup and Insecticide in Same Sprayer

[Alan L.]

I plan to get a 15 or 25 gallon tank sprayer to use in our Mule to spray roundup, and at other times to spray BT and insecticides on trees.

I have the habit of using separate pump sprayers for these two sprays, but at $200+ apiece I can't afford separate sprayers for the Mule. Can this be cleaned easy enough to go ahead and use the same tank for both chemicals?

 

[Junkman]

If you don't get all the Roundup out of the lines and tank, then you will have a very expensive mistake. I know someone that ruined his 30 year old Holly bushes because he used the same sprayer and thought that it was clean enough to swap chemicals. I wouldn't chance it if they were my trees... What is one tree worth?????

 

[notamustang]

Yea I have to agree with junkman, I would be cautious about doing that too.
You might want to keep an eye out on ebay. Maybe get the pump motor and use your own tank maybe a 5 gallon bucket for the bt and a wand from your old tank sprayer to have two seperate units? There may be a way to do it but I would think that there would be a lot time envolved.
Have you checked with a local ag store to see if they have a easy remedy?

 

[Jim_Fisher]

Alan,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Can this be cleaned easy enough to go ahead and use the same tank for both chemicals? )</font>

You might want to check with a local ag spraying company to find out what they use.

Tractor Supply sells two products to flush sprayers, Nutra-Sol and Riverside Tank Cleaner. I have not tried either one.

When I first got my sprayer, about twenty-five years ago, I asked about this at the local Agway store when I was buying some chemicals to spray my fruit trees. They suggested household ammonia. I have heard of others using vinegar.

Ammonia works for me (1 quart in 20 gallons of water circulated for a half hour or more, followed by a full tank of water) in my sprayer with my (piston) pump after using Roundup or 2, 4-D. Your mileage may vary.

If I were using a different sprayer, I would certainly test it on some expendable plants or grass prior to spraying fruit trees or ornamentals. In any event, you will need to flush thoroughly after using Roundup, even in a dedicated sprayer, to prevent corrosion.

 

[MadReferee]

I use Nutra-Sol that I got from Agri-Supply. It is somewhat of a pain to use but I have had no problems switching chemicals. Just make sure you rinse well (I usually do twice) and don't forget the hoses and boom and/or spray gun.

According to the directions, the hoses will be more likely to retain chemicals than the tank. You can always leave the Nutra-Sol in the hoses overnight, then rinse well.

 

[Alan L.]

Sounds like a pain. Once I get this big patch planted in bermuda chances are I won't ever spray a big area with roundup again. I hate to contaminate the new tank doing roundup when it probably won't do much more roundup in the future. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

Round-Up (Glyphosate) is relatively easy to dilute and wash out of a sprayer. (2,4-D products on the other hand, chemically "bond" to the plastic or fiberglass tanks of most sprayers. Use the "tank wash" products available at TSC or most any good farm supply store. They diklute and REMOVE all traces of the chemical from the tank. After you are CONVINCED you have the sprayer clean, fill it with water, and let it run. (I spray into 5 gallon buckets, then dispose of the water properly, and NOT let it drain on the lawn, just in case there's any trace remains of glyphosate (ect) /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

After using glyphosate products, fill you pump, and anything else that COULD have metal in it, with diesel fuel. That will inhibit rust. Glyphosate (round-up) is a salt based product, and EXTREMELY corrosive. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I use an AG type sprayer to apply Round-Up, 2.4-D, Grazon, Tordon, several fungasides, liquid fertilizers, insecticides and a host of other "pesticides" throughout the year. One sprayer does it all. Just clean it out well before and after each use. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[EastTexFrank]

Indydirtfarmer gave a great explanation.

I use the 2 sprayer method myself and never mix herbicides and insecticides in the same tank. Also I don't think I've ever used Round-up in anything other than a pump up, hand held sprayer. I may be overcautious but I know of a guy that just about killed every blade of grass and darned near every tree and shrub in his yard by not cleaning his tank sprayer properly. I shudder to think at what concentration he had mixed the Round-up on his previous spraying. He used it to kill some brush and vines along a fenceline. It had to be pretty stong to do that much damage even when diluted with the insecticide.

For a one time Round-up application, just to save on the expense, I'd go ahead and use it but clean the tank really, really, really well with one of the proprietary cleaners.

 

[penokee]

We used 2,4 D and 2,4,5 T some years ago (1967) for roadside spraying. It came in 5 gallon metal cans that were supposed to be destroyed (Hit in the bottom with a hatchet, then landfilled). The cans were nice heavy duty cans, so we all took a few rather then destroy them. I put a hose in mine and ran literaly hundreds of gallons through it to rinse. Next day I had dead dandelions a foot high. The water w/diluted herbicide stimulated them so much they grew to death in 24 hours. As mentioned previously it's almost impossible to remove some herbicides completely from their metal container. Today, I opt for 2 seperate spayers - have a small (40 tree fruit orchard) and don't want to take a chance of killing the trees with Roundup, so use seperate sprayers for the fruit tree spray and the grass/weed killer.
penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

ps: Have reduced the insect problem significantly by promoting song bird nesting sites and totally removing all ground falls.

 

[PBinWA]

I just got a Harbour Freight flyer today and they had 15 Gallon sprayer's on sale for for $89.00.

Might want to check out their web site:

http://www.harbourfreight.com