Bad day spraying

[Tap]

This is more of a rant just to vent, but it may be helpful to some of you. Be careful what chemicals you mix.
Long story, lots of details, but I may as well start from the beginning.

I was a little nervous that my 25 Fimco could have froze over the winter and maybe caused some damage so I put some water in it a few weeks ago and tested it...everything worked. No mice or red squirrel chew damage to anything either...great! The weather was finally starting to cooperate so it was time to prep plots.
At the time, I planned on spraying within a day or so I filled the tank up and added AMS to guard against well water possibly not being compatible with the chemicals. There's been plenty of discussion on adding AMS to your spray water.

Well, health and weather got in the way and I didn't spray as soon as I planned to. Fast forward to Sunday. The weather was iffy all day. We were on the edge of rain but it seemed that it was going to stay to the east, and my plot really needed sprayed, so I took a gamble and decided to spray.
My next decision was what chemical I wanted to use. Originally, I thought I'd just nuke it with gly to prep for sunflowers and cowpeas. But the plot still has a fairly nice bit of clover and I just couldn't bring myself to kill it, so I thought I'd do 2,4DB and cleth. I'd kill the unwanted crap and then overseed with something after I saw the results of the kill.

Time to mix chemicals...
I turned on the bypass so the chemicals would continue to mix as I added them.
Next I mixed crop oil with the AMS water, then the cleth, then 2,4DB (cleth and 2,4DB are compatible but I've never mixed them before). I also added 1 pound of dissolved Borax to help amend my soil to fight Creeping Charlie. Finally, I added spray dye.

Well there was something in that mixture, or my sequence, that didn't work. It created snotters in the tank. I really don't know which chemical didn't mix but I had a mess. The sprayer was clogged and needed drained so I could access the screen...BTW, yet another bitch about Fimco. They put the filter screen in the worst place!

So now I'm scrambling to find enough buckets to drain the tank. I eventually get it drained, cleaned and reassembled.
Now I need to decide what to do with the mix. I didn't want to just dump it so we filtered it twice through panty hose. The 2nd filtering was pouring clean with no sludge. Okay, I'll risk putting it back in the tank.

But by now the wind had picked up considerably. Should I still spray? Or should I risk leaving the mystery mix in the tank overnight and maybe form more snotters? I decided to spray.
Everything went well. The sprayer worked well with no issues.
Exactly 5 minutes after I got done spraying, we got 1/4" of rain. I should have stayed in bed that day.

Lesson...don't mix shit if you don't have to.

 

[bbcoach]

Been where you were. Found out, as you did, do not put water and chemicals in the tank until the very instant you are going to spray. Always use a clean towel or rag and filter any water you use. Don't use pond water because it may contain a lot of undesolved solids that won't go though the filters and or pump. Clean water from a hose or flowing river, creek or spring water filtered through a clean towel or rag should work. Very fine filters in these sprayers. They will clog easily. Filter your water well. As Tap said don't mix anything until the instant you will spray. Frustrating!!!

 

[TreeDaddy]

Same experience with fimco filters/sprayers

Prowl(pendomethilum) was particularly frustrating in the 25 gallon fimco and the four gallon backpack

i feel ya,brother

bill

 

[MickT]

Somehow, the screen in my fimco took flight. Hasn’t slowed me down one bit.


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[Wild Thing]

Faced some of the same or similar decision making processs a couple of weeks ago in spraying to prep my upcoming Switchgrass planting. I wanted to spray a clover plot with Gly, Simazine and 2,4-D but somewhere along the way I read where i could get some "jelling" with that mixture. As much as I wanted to get it all done at once, I elected to take the conservative route and spray the 2,4-D separately. No problems encountered.

Still trying to get 7- acres of RR sugar beets and beans sprayed but it has been windy every day recently. Finally decided to give it a shot today and that was a mistake. The wind got the better of me about 2/3 of the way through the first field and I through in the towel. Maybe tomorrow.

I know what you mean about maybe staying in bed Tap.

 

[JFK52]

I have a 55 gallon PTO pull behind Fimco sprayer with a 14 foot boom. I find the filter with the screen to be easily accessed. I have had the clear bulb crack over winter and changed it out easily. Maybe my filter/screen is in a different place than on your sprayer. I always put pink RV antifreeze in my sprayer every fall and run it through so that anything left in the lines or other places will not freeze over winter. I just flush it real well before the first time using it in the summer. I also try to spray real early in the morning before the wind is up for the day.

 

[Tap]

I have a 55 gallon PTO pull behind Fimco sprayer with a 14 foot boom. I find the filter with the screen to be easily accessed. I have had the clear bulb crack over winter and changed it out easily. Maybe my filter/screen is in a different place than on your sprayer. I always put pink RV antifreeze in my sprayer every fall and run it through so that anything left in the lines or other places will not freeze over winter. I just flush it real well before the first time using it in the summer. I also try to spray real early in the morning before the wind is up for the day.

Mine is the 25 gallon model.

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[Wild Thing]

I also try to spray real early in the morning before the wind is up for the day.

There is usually less wind early but I like a little warmer temps to spray in too. It is 38 degrees here as we speak at 5:20 AM (overnight low was 37). Would the gly still be as effective if sprayed at that temp? It is supposed to get up into the 60's this afternoon.

 

[Nova]

I headed the 200 miles to the farm last weekend to spray plots, Got up Saturday morning to rain, which was OK, we really needed the rain. Ended up raining until 4pm and then the winds came blowing in. No big deal, I'll spray Sunday morning before we head home. Got up at 4am to get things ready so I can spray right at sun up. The wind was already at 20-25mph at 4 am. Left the hurricane at noon without spraying. I am heading back up tonight to try and spray in the morning. One day trip and 400 miles isn't ideal, but a guy has to do what a guy has to do.

 

[Rit]

[QUOTE="Left the hurricane at noon”[/QUOTE]

Now that’s funny. Not the wasted trip of course just the description of your situation.

 

[Tap]

I headed the 200 miles to the farm last weekend to spray plots, Got up Saturday morning to rain, which was OK, we really needed the rain. Ended up raining until 4pm and then the winds came blowing in. No big deal, I'll spray Sunday morning before we head home. Got up at 4am to get things ready so I can spray right at sun up. The wind was already at 20-25mph at 4 am. Left the hurricane at noon without spraying. I am heading back up tonight to try and spray in the morning. One day trip and 400 miles isn't ideal, but a guy has to do what a guy has to do.

It kinda sucks when you can't get it done when all the planets align.
Weeds, planting, even time in the stand...nice to accomplish things at the optimal time.

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[Nova]

[QUOTE="Left the hurricane at noon”

Now that’s funny. Not the wasted trip of course just the description of your situation.[/QUOTE]

Not a total waste, I did get 50 balsam firs planted in the rain, perfect conditions, and I got a road in the woods that continues to wash out graded out and planted in rye grass. There is always something to do at the farm, so no trip gets wasted.

 

[bbcoach]

There is usually less wind early but I like a little warmer temps to spray in too. It is 38 degrees here as we speak at 5:20 AM (overnight low was 37). Would the gly still be as effective if sprayed at that temp? It is supposed to get up into the 60's this afternoon.

Yes spray away. The glyphosate will stick ok if you have surfactant or soap in the mix. I've found that it takes a little longer to absorb and kill in lower temps but it will do the job. If its hot normally 7-10 days. Two weeks or longer for colder days.

 

[Wild Thing]

Thanks bbcoach.

Another Q: Does anyone use foam or spray dye to mark where you've been? I always seem to miss a spot somewhere along the way. Just wondering if there is a better way. Tire tracks aren't always real evident.

 

[bbcoach]

Thanks bbcoach.

Another Q: Does anyone use foam or spray dye to mark where you've been? I always seem to miss a spot somewhere along the way. Just wondering if there is a better way. Tire tracks aren't always real evident.

I always followed my tire tracks and had good overlap. There are dyes and foam but I've never had the use for them.

 

[Tap]

Thanks bbcoach.

Another Q: Does anyone use foam or spray dye to mark where you've been? I always seem to miss a spot somewhere along the way. Just wondering if there is a better way. Tire tracks aren't always real evident.

I always use dye. It's a must for spot spraying. It may not be a requirement for spraying with a tractor or quad because you can follow your tracks, but due is really useful for clean up.
As long as I see dye color when I'm flushing the sprayer , then I know there is still herbicide present. I want the tank, nozzels, boom, etc clean when I'm done.

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