I’m just wondering what to use. I have pump type pressure sprayers. Will the clay pass or will it clog them up? My pears are pea to almost marble size. This is the first nice weather we have had since petal fall, keep getting rain/sleet/snow episodes. Nights have been consistently in the low to mid 30’s.
I would like to do some grafting and then spray.
If you give the name brand and model, people may have a better idea.
My thought on Surround is, a sprayer needs to have a strainer to catch particles that are not fully dissolved.
Also, how to dissolve Surround powder is important, too. I mix it in a bucket. I usually put water in the bucket first , then Surround, mix it up thoroughly. Then, I fungicide like myclobutanil or Indar and insecticide like Spinosad to kill moths.
Mix all well and pour a the mixture through a strainer into a sprayer. Since I do it this way, clogging issue is gone.
My sprayer is Osatu 16.
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My understanding is that a diaphragm sprayer is recommended as the abrasive nature of surround will wear out a piston pump.
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That’s my 4 gal sprayer. I showed you a strainer. Just sprayed 8 gal of Surround this morning. No clogging. When you use Surround add a few drops of dish soap in the mix. When you are done, add a couple drops of soap during rinsing/cleaning up your sprayer, too.
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Thanks for the information! It’s still been consistent wet weather but it’s supposed to be 90 on Sunday. That’s Colorado for you, skip the 70-80’s and go straight to the 90’s. I’ll probably just use my pump sprayer, I only have one pear tree old enough to bear.
If you are not spraying a lot a piston pump is fine. Over time pistons wear faster with powders so diaphragms will last longer. I’m not sure how much difference in practice this makes for Surround.
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What are you using as a sprayer, Scott?
I have used many sprayers over the years. Right now I have a Solo diaphragm 5-gallon pump sprayer. The only problem is the nozzle needs to be cleared a couple times while spraying… take it off, shoot out a teeny bit of liquid to clear out the buildup, and put back on and keep going. There is a filter behind the nozzle and it tends to get some buildup behind it which needs to be cleared out. It could in fact be better to just remove the filter completely, but the idea of cleaning out the nozzle itself makes me keep it in.
Thanks, Scott!
Another tip I got from @mamuang: use a spiral paint-mixer drill bit in a 5 gal bucket to mix up the Surround. Works like a charm. I used a face mask that came with the Osato sprayer- don’t want clay particles in your lungs. I ordered goggles to keep clay out of my eyes when I’m in the white tree bagging and thinning.
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Great tips. Much appreciated.
Hambone,
That’s an upgrade. There was no mask with the box I bought 3 years ago.
I wear goggles, a face shield, a disposable Tyvex suit, etc. Max protection. These days, it’s difficult to find Tyvex suits at a reasonable price. Fortunately, I have a box of them.