When most people hear “garden sprayer” many things come mind and most of them aren’t good such as, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemicals, toxic, etc… Because of these negative correlations it is a bit difficult to suggest any “sprayers”. So, although this post is intended solely to help you select the perfect garden sprayer, I’ll also throw in a couple of natural recipes for herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides.
Garden hose sprayers allow the gardener to deliver the right amount of whatever spray they are using, evenly, and efficiently. The garden hose sprayer should allow the user effectively measure amounts of spray mixture needed, control, adjust, and prevent over-spraying the mixture, and get to hard to reach areas where pests, funguses, and diseases tend to hide.
So, let’s get started…
First Steps, and a Couple Suggestions
Before you select a garden hose sprayer make sure to take a long walk around your yard and identify specific places, and what “infections” (pests, weeds, and fungus) have occurred. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, you’ll know what kind of sprays you’ll need, how strong to make them, and where to apply them. Second, the stroll will dictate weather you need to more than one sprayer and also what kind of sprayer you’ll need. We suggest using separate sprayers for each spray mixture for pretty obvious reasons, so you could need up to three sprayers total one for pesticide, one for herbicide, and one for fungicide.
And for the naturalists among us here are a few natural pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides:
Pesticide: Pyrethrum, garlic, & hot peppers
Herbicide: Citrus oil, corn gluten meal, or neem
Fungicide: Copper, sulfur, baking soda recipe, tea tree oil recipe
Different Types of Garden Sprayers
There are multiple types of sprayers available. This post will explore four different styles…
Hose-End Sprayers
The hose end sprayer is the most basic and easiest to use. The spray mixture is added to the spray canister, and an automatic gage is set at desired delivery amount. The Perfect Garden hose is then attached to a “female” coupler at the back, and away you go…
Compression Sprayer
This sprayer type is the most popular and widely used. First the mixture is put in the tank, which can be made from polyethylene plastic, galvanized steel or stainless steel. Next the water is put in for desired delivery amount. Once the mixture and the water are mixed together the tank is sealed and the remaining air is pressurized via a hand pump on the top of the canister. When the trigger is pulled the pressurized mixture is dispersed. The nozzle can be adjusted for desired spray pattern and dispersion amounts.
Backpack Sprayers
These sprayers work much like a compression sprayer with one obvious difference; it’s worn on your back. Backpack sprayers can hold much more spray therefore reducing time in mixing the spray. Some backpack sprayers are also equipped with levers that can compress the air while the unit is being worn.
Powered Sprayers
Power sprayers use a gasoline engine to disperse the spray (think fogger). These sprayers can usually carry large amounts of spray, and are very nice for landscapers or people with extremely large yards. Downfall heavy and gas powered…yuck!
These four garden sprayer styles represent what we think are the most popular, and widely used. If you’re in the market for a new garden hose sprayer we hope you found the information in this post useful! And we do suggest trying the naturalist approach before spraying any types of chemicals.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog for a chance to win a free 50’ blue TUFF GUARD brand Perfect Garden hose!!
Thanks to:
Lowe's
SoYouWanna.com
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