How To Spray For Weeds | Jimboomba Turf

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Today we're here to talk about how to spray for weeds.

Customers often repeat common mistakes when spraying for weeds making their treatment ineffective or even worse damaging their lawn. So today we're sharing these tips to help you get it right the first time.

First we're going to talk about the equipment required. Handy hose on packs can seem convenient but they can be limited in what they treat. Also some can be harmful for different varieties of turf meaning they'll kill both your weeds and your lawn.

With this in mind we recommend a pump action sprayer. This allows you to measure accurately thanks to the clearly defined markings. It gives you a consistent spray to evenly distribute the herbicide required for your weeds. If you follow a strict washing routine you can then use one sprayer for all of your chemicals. You could use something as fancy as a backpack sprayer. But since my yard is tiny I'm just going to use this 5L sprayer. There's a sprayer for every lawn size
and every budget.

The other often overlooked piece of equipment is a small measuring cup. So you can accurately measure the correct amount of herbicide. The best size is 30ml with milliliter increments on the side.

And last of all we always want to be safe. So we want to wear gloves while handling any herbicides and be sure to wear long pants and shoes while we spray.

Rule number 1: Know your grass know your weeds.

Spraying the wrong chemicals can have catastrophic results for your lawn. So you need to identify what variety of grass your lawn is and what the weeds are that you're trying to kill. I know that my lawn is Sir Walter DNA Certified and I've identified several different weeds which are all broadleaf weeds. So it can be treated with the chemical BIN-DIE. If you are unsure which weeds you have you can see our weed identification chart on our website.

Rule number 2: Spray early and early in the morning.

First you need to spray weeds early. This means before they go to flower. Otherwise they will just be reseeding themselves. Also herbicides rely on photosynthesis to work. So you need to give them enough time to activate and take action. You always want to apply herbicides early in the morning. That way they have at least 6 hours to work. The simple rule is herbicides in the morning and pesticides in the evening.

Rule number 3: Be precise and patient.

To be safe and effective, herbicides need to be applied at the correct application rate. It is important to always measure carefully and follow the instructions on the packaging. This is where using the measuring cup and pump sprayer with clearly defined markings makes life very easy.

Since the mixing rate of BIN-DIE is 30ml for every 5 to 10L. I'll add 30ml of BIN-DIE into my 5L pump sprayer. I'm also adding about 10ml of dishwashing liquid to act as a suffocant. Suffocants or stickers as they are commonly known. Break down the surface tension and make it easier for more of the herbicide to be taken up by the weed. When we are finished we get the dish soap back out and simply wash out the sprayer with soapy water.

Some herbicides take some time to work so the worst thing you can do is panic and reapply too soon. If further applications are required the instructions will state so clearly. In the case of BIN-DIE which I'm using. A second application may be required in 3 to 4 weeks. So I've set a reminder in my phone to check on the progress in 3 weeks time.

A great option if you only have a few weeds is spot spraying. This means you use less chemical
and just spray the weeds themselves. A great tip for doing this is to add food colouring to your mixture. So you can see where you have sprayed.

We hope these tips have been helpful for making sure you win the battle against weeds in your backyard.