THE FOREST FOR THE TREES This will avoid herbicide damage to adjacent newly planted plants. Climbers like jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) or Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) are often best controlled by cutting them off at ground level and again at eye level, ensuring all stems are cut. Regrowth from the ground can then be easily sprayed with appropriate herbicide. Vines left in the trees will in time die back, allowing new growth from the host tree to emerge over the old vines. Knapsack sprayer Herbicides are poisons and should be treated with care, but are useful tools. Appropriate use of herbicides can really help reduce the amount of work required to clear weeds and avoids the need to disturb the soil. Knapsack sprayers are designed to be carried on the operator’s back and carry five, 10 or 15l of mixed herbicide, possibly marker dye, wetting agent and water. This allows access to anywhere a person can walk or possibly climb. I find an adjustable jet is useful; a narrow jet can be propelled several metres to the target weed and a wide cone can be misted over a close specimen. Spraying a weed plant can be likened to spray painting a car or piece of furniture. The aim is to cover the object completely, without having overspray running on to the ground. Marker dye is useful to check this is done well. Because the poison solution is carried on the back, the amount used at any one time is limited. A knapsack sprayer is useful for small or very inaccessible sites. A knapsack can also be useful on a larger project, where a selective herbicide is needed for a specific task, like glyphosate on pampas or metsulfuron–methyl on lilies or irises. For larger areas though, more serious equipment is helpful.
The knapsack sprayer is good for inaccessible places and careful control of spray material.
Motorised sprayer mounted on a vehicle can apply a significant amount of material in a short time.
per minute, to larger petrol or tractor–driven pumps capable of 50l or more per minute, supplied from a tank of 200, 400 or 800l. Sprayers like these deliver the herbicide through a hose to a handgun. The hose has to be dragged to the site, but much less frequent mixing of herbicide is required and it has the Motorised sprayer capacity to cover larger areas quickly. The These range from small, electrically– increased pressure and volume delivered by operated spot sprayers capable of a few litres this equipment allows the herbicide mixture 39