Insecticide in a pressure washer?
Question:I am wondering what is a good sprayer for yard/garden insecticide and liquid fertilizer. I just finished pressure washing my deck and got to thinking it would be nice to have something like this -- electric and powerful -- for my yard, for my very tall fruit trees, 1-acre grass with ants, general fertilizing. I bet one could get that done in no time flat.
I have a Craftsman hand-pump which I was never, ever happy with from day one. I dread the thought of using it.
Anyone ever put anything like that in a pressure washer ?
Answers:
Prune your fruit trees. Get those high suckers off. Tall tree do not produce much fruit,(especially on the higher limbs). These types of trees are being yanked for a more tighter intense production orchard.
The excess sucker growth just makes the tree weaker (and a weak tree basically gives off a scent that attracts bugs).
As for putting insecticide into a pressure washer..you seem to have overlooked that insecticide and poison are the same thing. It will kill you just as well as a bug. You really want to be careful with it and not contaminate the entire neighborhood. Besides it needs to be ontop of the leaves, (not in them.) Same would apply to the fruit. A poison apple is not worth much to anyone.
Orchardists try using as little pesticides as possible.(it cuts into their profit margin)
I wouldn't use it for getting it out of the pressure washer will take ages.(and maybe the next thing you pressure wash is the picnic table).without even thinking about residue.
Some pressure washers come with a small jar for adding detergent, insecticide, etc. I use Malathion in mine to get to all the spiders in my eaves...and the tops of fruit trees, works great....Nuf Said
I've put miscible oil in an airless paint sprayer to spray some fruit trees during the dormant season.
I guess the main question is, do you really NEED to spray poison all over your yard and trees? Depending on what chemicals you use, you could do more harm than good by killing off beneficial creatures. Personally, I wouldn't spray insecticide on an entire tree unless it was a valuable tree that was being overwhelmed by insects.
Beyond that, if you do spray using a really powerful sprayer like a pressure washer, and you have nearby neighbors, you might end up with some complaints and/or even possible legal action if the poison gets into their home or drifts over their property.
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