If I use my backpack sprayer to combat the rampant poison oak around here, can I use it (rinsed out obviously) to spray fertilizers and whatnot on plants I don’t want to kill?
Thanks
-rainy
Sure.
I’m queasy about the idea of using any sprayer that’s once held herbicide on plants I value. But if you thoroughly and repeatedly rinse out your sprayer, including repeatedly running clean water through the spray head, you should be fine.
Lots of rinses.
Repeatedly.
Most fertilisers can be easily and completely neutralised by exposing them to acids or bases. Find out what your herbicide is neutralised by and then soak it for an hour in vinegar or a dilute caustic soda solution.
Thanks, Blake. Using your suggested search terms I found this University of Wisconsin page which lists lots of commericial herbicides and what to neutralize them with.
http://128.104.239.6/uw_weeds/extension/articles/spraycontam.htm
Those pussies are using ammonia as their base. Real men use dilute caustic.
(Actually I do it because it’s easier and safer to carry 500g of caustic soda than to carry 500L of ammonia, but if you’re doing small jobs close to home it’s not really an issue.)
And of course I meant pesticide, not fertiliser, but you worked that out.