Spraying around trees

[Mattyq2402]

I'm getting close to doing burn down for fall plots. I have 26 new pear and crab within these plots running the perimeter with a handful on the inner edge of the plots. I'm spraying a spring soilbuilder/mixed with some rw upland and plenty of weeds.
Any tricks to do a gly, 24d burn down while keeping new trees safe other than be extra careful?

 

[silver_yummies]

If they are caged, you could go to the extreme of wrapping tarps around them to prevent chemical getting on them. Otherwise, yeah just be careful and pick a day with 0 wind.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I would avoid spraying near young (or old) fruit trees as much as possible. I'd rather have a weedy plot edge than dead fruit trees. I try to keep the wind in my favor and still stay 30' from trees. Even then I get nervous-

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I spray with an ATV mounted sprayer, but if you are spraying by hand, you might be able to get closer to the trees without damaging them.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

but if you are spraying by hand, you might be able to get closer to the trees without damaging them.

This will work. I've done it with a hand pump sprayer. I just pointed the spray wand OUTWARD , away from the trunks of our trees, on a calm day. I put the tip of the spray wand in close to the trunks - about 1 foot away - but point the spray OUTWARD so no spray gets on the tree trunks. That kills pretty much all the weeds close to the trees themselves. Just pick a calm day so no wind-driven spray drift blows back onto your trees.

I also don't set the nozzle tip to "mist" - I set ours to droplets so the spray doesn't tend to drift with breeze. Keeps the spray where you want it better.

 

[homerj]

This will work. I've done it with a hand pump sprayer. I just pointed the spray wand OUTWARD , away from the trunks of our trees, on a calm day. I put the tip of the spray wand in close to the trunks - about 1 foot away - but point the spray OUTWARD so no spray gets on the tree trunks. That kills pretty much all the weeds close to the trees themselves. Just pick a calm day so no wind-driven spray drift blows back onto your trees.

I also don't set the nozzle tip to "mist" - I set ours to droplets so the spray doesn't tend to drift with breeze. Keeps the spray where you want it better.

Do you do this with a tank mix of gly and 2-4d, like the OP mentioned?

 

[cavey]

gly and 2-4d, low wind day, hand pump sprayer if you like - just easier to control especially up close - dont spray anything green on the tree.... 2-3' around and move on to the next one . Dont sweat it... I stay a few inches off the trunk never seemed to hurt if I hit a bit on the woody trunk anyways - just dont do it and have no overspray towards the canopy.

Hundreds of trees done for what feels like hundreds of years the only thing I regret is not spraying around them more and getting all of them done each year. Would love a more organic approach its just not time or cost effective for me. Older trees with a higher canopy I try and hit with the atv tank sprayer and hand gun. In a perfect world I like 2-3 foot of dirt around the younger trees . Almost none of which my trees have because Im never caught up with stuff.

as a side not you dont need to overly saturate the weeds around your trees - a little goes along ways - weeds that die slow are still dead weeds

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Do you do this with a tank mix of gly and 2-4d, like the OP mentioned?

No - just gly, which kills almost all weeds & grass.

 

[FrostInc]

Have you looked into a covered boom? This aims all of the droplets right to the base of the tree with a cover to protect outside plants.
Sample photo attached

 

[cavey]

Have you looked into a covered boom? This aims all of the droplets right to the base of the tree with a cover to protect outside plants.
Sample photo attached

a saturated towel/blanket or wick wand/ hand wick applicator would work too if you dont want to risk over spray ...

with a hand sprayer its not that big of a deal unless your weeds are 3 feet tall or bigger than the tree your trying to spray around - dont over think it just go out and get it done.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

a saturated towel/blanket or wick wand/ hand wick applicator would work too if you dont want to risk over spray ...

with a hand sprayer its not that big of a deal unless your weeds are 3 feet tall or bigger than the tree your trying to spray around - dont over think it just go out and get it done.

I hadn't considered the wick wand but that is a great idea, think i'll buy one.

I'd be careful with spraying 2,4-D. I sprayed my yard at home this spring with some homeowner Weed n Feed (2.4-D and a little dicamba + N) from a backpack sprayer and was very careful around apple trees always spraying with nozzle pointed away from them. All the apple trees showed herbicide damage shortly after. They've all bounced back but I'll probably not spray 2,4-D around them again.