Taking action

Today Carl and I went shopping for a back pack sprayer and herbicide. We bought both at Agway, along with a bale of what the store called straw that mad Carl mad because it was more hay-like with its seeds. I will complain next time I am there. Straw should not have seeds.

We had a practice session with a stop watch and a measured space to calculate the volume of liquid applied per square foot and per minute. Then Carl calculated the ratio of water to herbicide for a given area. The instructions said the herbicide was non-specific, i.e., as in RoundUp but the active ingredient is — not —

The nozzle that came with the applicator sprays the herbicide in a rectangle. Carl thought an oblong shape was better because it allows to overlap without increase the amount of herbicide applied. He changed the nozzle.

I tried to recreate his the sweeping motion with the wand while also pumping to keep the pressure. (My applicator is set on the lowest of 4 pressure calibrations.) It is not as easy as it looks. I made an arch shape that Carl didn’t like so I have to hold the wand ahead of me more and at a right angle to the rest of my body