May is a good time to start - most of the weeds will have come through and the frost risk will have gone an option, then why not?
Other considerations come into this too. It takes twice the packaging to contain the higher rate product, more fuel to move it, more space to store it and more rinsing of empties to make them safe after the product is used. They create twice as many empties to dispose of and, if you need to make arrangements to have them removed, this may be an additional cost. If you take account of the environment in your planning, the new generation of products will win hands down - less product used, less packaging, and less waste. Make this a key point of choosing your product. Who is going to do it? This too is a big part of planning. Herbicides only work as well as they are applied. If you have a sprayer then get it ready to spray. When you have ordered the product clean the sprayer. Start at the tank and clean all the filters, then the nozzles. Check it for leaks, worn hosing, perished pipes, cracks etc. This may help spot problems before they occur - the last thing you want is a hose to burst on a central run down a fairway, and the scorched grass that will mark where it happened. Then calibrate your sprayer. This all takes time and, when the
pressure is on to present your grass to best effect, it may feel like an onerous task, but a clean calibrated sprayer will deliver a far better more consistent result than one that isn’t. If you aren’t comfortable doing this, or don’t have the time there is always the option to bring in a specialist.
Bringing in a specialist to apply your herbicides is often a good decision. It will free up time in a peak period to allow you to keep on top of day to day stuff, and let a specialist take care of the COSHH, record keeping and delivering the results. Your time is valuable and using a good contractor can be a cost effective option during peak times as the busier you are the more your time is worth.
When you are looking for a contractor
make sure he is up to the job. At the minimum he should have specialist turf kit with the correct tyres. He should also be a BACCS member, and be NRoSO
registered. BACCS (BASIS Advanced Contractor Certification Scheme) and NRoSO (National Register of Spray Operators) are schemes put in place to allow the professional committed providers of an expert service to demonstrate they are operating to the highest standards. To qualify under the schemes independent audits must be passed and continued professional development points must be earned to keep scheme accreditation. This takes commitment. Think of the time you spend on your grass. Would you let someone who wasn’t committed loose on it?
Timing
Timing, as with many things in life, is crucial. Spray too early and you will miss some of the weed flush coming through. Spray too late and the early emergents will be slightly more resilient, taking longer to die off. There may be frosts in April. Spraying and then having a ground frost may cause turf damage, so be careful, especially around north facing ground and cooler shaded parts. May is a good time to start - most of the weeds will have come through and the frost risk will have gone. The best timing is down to sound judgment. You know your local conditions - when you feel that the majority of your weeds have emerged it’s time to go to the next step. Spraying.
Spraying
The best results from spraying are achieved when variation caused by the environment can be managed to reduce interference with the product. Wind - reduce drift by spraying early in the day in sound conditions. A breeze of more than 6 metres per second is too much. If the wind is low you can use fine to medium classed nozzles - this will achieve better coverage or deposition of the product on the leaf and give a better result. Only use coarse nozzles if it is breezy. How can this be done? Mark a day to spray. Use the forecast to select your day and then go with it. Delegate other jobs if need be, but get on and get it done. If you choose to bring in a specialist then he will need to know when
you will need him. Give him as much notice as possible so you can be diaried in and take priority.
Communication and planning between you both will help immensely when coordinating availability with when you would like the job doing. The more notice you can give, the closer to the front of the queue you will be. To sum up the points to think about this spring and to prevent the plants that grow in the wrong place making all your hard work look disappointing, here are a few dos and don’ts.
Do:
• Commit to treat the weeds, make the decision early.
• Get some on the ground advice from a BASIS professional.
• Select a product that will treat the weeds you have.
• Service and calibrate your sprayer.
• If you use a spraying specialist give him plenty of notice.
• Commit to and stick with the best day you can.
• Enjoy the results of a well planned job. Don’t:
• Dither. Waiting to see what comes up only favours the weeds.
• Choose a product because it is cheap - choose the right one.
• Wait until the last minute to prepare.
• Hope the sprayer is okay from last year - service it.
• Try and do spraying between other jobs. You will get an inconsistent result.
It would be nice this year to get weather we could all call average after the extremes of 2007 and 2006. Let’s hope that this year is unremarkable, which will make it worth remembering.
About the author: Paul Cawood is Sales Manager for Languard Ltd. Email
info@languard.co.uk Website:
www.languard.co.uk
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