Making an Herbicide Applicator for cut-stems (for ~$10) that will help you work safer and better
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Pesticides can be a useful tool in the management of natural areas, but we need to use them selectively and carefully. This herbicide applicator for treating the cut stems of trees and shrubs is made from a one-gallon tank sprayer and a few common items you may have around your home. It allows you to selectively apply the herbicide (in this case a 20% solution of glyphosate) in a very controlled manner that protects nearby vegetation from over-spray.
Oak Haven is a 60-acre private woodland in Southwestern Ohio near Cincinnati. Jim and Julie Varick both have degrees in Botany and over thirty years of experience in managing natural areas. They enjoy sharing their enthusiasm for the natural world and would like to build relationships with like-minded people to share knowledge and resources.
This is super helpful. As a new homeowner with an acre of land, A LOT of honeysuckle lining a creek, and a commitment to cause as little harm as possible to other plants in the area - thank you! I especially love your reuse of materials on hand and practical every day items. Excited to modify our sprayer and get to work.
You present so many useful "hacks" in an informative fashion with good production values. Thanks!
Glad you like them!
Hello sir. Saw your roadside vid on the neighborhood app and followed you here. We have 12 acres in Brown Co. Been pulling baby Amur honeysuckle for 10 year. Hope it’s making a difference. The autumn olive and garlic mustard are problematic too. Trying to foster native paw paws. I admire your knowledge of plants and ecology. Keep up the good work. Thank you
Thanks for your work at making some room for Paw Paws! It gets discouraging to think of all of the effort it takes to push back the invasives on our properties, but I can guarantee you that if you have been pulling baby Honeysuckles for 10 years, your property is in MUCH better shape than it would have been if you had sat back and said, "It's too much! I can't do enough to make it worth doing at all." Give yourself a pat on the back!
Thanks for an excellent video on a make-it-yourself solution to 'painting' stumps with herbicide. I've always rejected using chemicals but, with over 100 acres of woodland and getting on in years, I am willing to use what is necessary if I can avoid harming the environment. It is frightening to see where those chemicals wind up after you put a color marker in them. I find both the simple bottle sprayers and the cheap pumps like you showed will continue leaking fluid out of the nozzle even when you release the trigger. I really appreciate the details you addressed and solved, like the S hook for the wand and the carabiner for keeping the tank out of the way. Keep these videos coming!
Thanks for the comments! It is revealing having the dye in the herbicide. It not only shows me where I've sprayed, but also where there are leaks in the system. I tried a new style of glove while spraying, but came back and my "trigger finger" was blue, showing me that the glove was not working as well as I was counting on.
I really hate the delayed shutoff nozzle leaking thing too. Sometimes it can be completely fixed by taking all the nozzle fittings apart and cleaning the fine gunk out of them with water, usually pretty fast and easy.
I've always been cautious about using herbicides in restoration, but sometimes they really are the best way to deal with invasive species! I'm working on an area on a steep slope filled with woody invasives and it's been really tough digging them up without disturbing the soil too much. I mentioned using herbicides to a coworker to deal with some nasty burdock and nearly fell over when he suggested using them on the sloped areas as well- problem (hopefully) solved!!
After my first season last fall and winter treating cut trunks, I'm going to this method. I had bought a small hand-held applicator that you pump nd spray but instead of spraying into the environment I sprayed into a disposable sponge paintbrush and painted it on. It worked but takes a lot more time and effort and of course now the goofy thing is leaking at the nozzle and I don't know how to clean it or if that will help and the neighbor says oh they always leak. I keep it in a bucket nestled in paper towels with the paintbrush in there and I see it seeped more than what I want to continue with anyway after going back to it. Wish me luck! Heavy duty nylon?? I have lots of scrap fabric around but I will start t the fabric store and ask for this. To me, it does not sound very absorbent or porous but probably that's the point.
This is excellent information! Thank you!
Good luck to you and your neighbors! For what it's worth, I have gone back to using a little sponge, rather than the fabric scraps for the tip of this applicator.
Great thinking about the sprayer! Curious as to what you use for a color indicator. Would food coloring work?
We use Laser Blue Spray Pattern Indicator by Sanco Industries. We have been buying it for about $17/quart at Rural King. Similar products seem about twice as much at other vendors (like Amazon). I just order a gallon of the Sanco product directly from Sanco for about $45. It is VERY concentrated. You use 0.5 to 1 oz. in each gallon of herbicide. I use 1 oz. which is very noticeable until it rains. I have never tried food coloring, but would imagine that it would not be strong enough. If you try it, let me know.
Bought 20 acres in southern Wisconsin this year. I've been pulling Autumn Olive and multiflora rose by hand for a couple of weeks. No longer! Thanks for making these great videos!
Good luck with your battle! I appreciate your effort.
I am fighting Chinese privet/ chinaberry in South Georgia. I am going to switch from cut/spray to cut/paint. The spray bottles always leak and I end up with blue hands.
I tried your method today. It worked. I sometimes got some extra release and drippage from squeezing the trigger a little too much. This method definitely got more dye on my pants. Less bending over that when using a dabbing sponge in a little tube. Also I found a half gallon sprayer and used that instead of a gallon, less to carry. Thanks!
The smaller sprayer is definitely a good idea!
What a great idea. Usually when I cut stump and spray I use a squirt bottle and you're right, it aerosols the liquid. I'm definitely going to use this idea this year. I use a backpack sprayer for all of my foliar spraying. I usually dilute my glyphosate to 3-4 percent. What are your thoughts on wearing goggles and respirator while foliar spraying? Overkill? Thanks for posting this. Your channel is definitely one of the best articulated channels for this kind of outdoor venture. Please keep them coming.
Thanks for the comments! I usually don't wear goggles and a respirator for glyphosate, but I may be underestimating the risk. I rarely am spraying large areas with a lot of drift. When I am treating Japanese Stilt Grass (with Acclaim Extra) I tend to spray larger areas and from a greater height. Then I will wear a respirator.
This is SO HELPFUL!!
Wool fabric or fleece may work inside the nylon fabric to hold herbicide.
Great idea! We own land in Alabama and fight Japanese Honeysuckle, Chinese Privit and Green Briar Constantly.
Good luck with your fight!
I wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I have 145 acres in the ADK mountains in New York. We have buckthorn. Nuf said. That stuff is nasty and I am on a "Mission" to eradicate as much of it as I can. I have learned alot from your videos and appreciate the clarity of your teaching. Best Regards, GZ
145 acres! You've got a job ahead of you. Fortunately, we don't have Buckthorn this far south, but there's still plenty to keep us busy. Thanks for the comments.
Looks like a great idea! I'm looking to attack the wild rose that has recently come to overrun the woods in our area of Bethesda, MD. I gather you'd use 20% glyphosate on the cut stems. Watching your shoulder harness, which looks like an excellent concept, I'm worried about the tip of the sprayer hitting and soaking one's pants leg. How do you avoid that? And do you use rubber gloves with the sprayer?
Sorry for the delay in responding. Yes, we use a 20% glyphosate to treat cut stems. I have not solved the problem of the sprayer tip hitting my pant leg. I try to hang it such that in minimizes the bumping, but you are right, it still happens. Fortunately, with the dye in the solution, I can see that very little if any is actually getting through to my leg through my pants. And yes, I try to wear rubberized gloves when spraying.
I live in southern Wisconsin and have a ton of prickly ash and honeysuckle to deal with. i was planning on going through it with my brushcutter and having my son follow behind with the herbicide dauber. Have you ever tried adding a foaming agent to the herbicide?
I have not used a foaming agent. I am curious how it works for you. Please let me know.
Just found this.
Grand idea!
I would recommend using zip ties over the dauber, instead of the hose clamp, as they won't be affected by the salts in many herbicides.
I am in a war with Yuapon Holly and a dauber would be more efficient and targeted than current spray method.
Good idea! I chose the hose clamps because I didn't want them blowing off, but a zip tie might work too.
What nylon fabric is this? Wondering where to get it and what it is called. This is a great video! So much good info that will help us in Quincy, IL maintain and expand our nature trails.
Ryan, I wish I could tell you what kind of nylon it is. I bought it at a fabric store (in the remnant section). It is fairly heavy duty, like that you would find in a backpack.
This is just a great solid video with all sorts of great DIY advice. Love it. thank you.
Do you have any specific advice for barberry control? I hate to use Tordon TRU, but that's been my go to after cutting them. Now I wish to control the new shoots on plants that didn't get tordon'd and larger bushes that were not cut. Nasty bushes and the deer ticks love to live in them...
Have you considered using paint dauber bottles? It's a 2 to 4-oz bottle with a build-in sponge applicator tip. Think "bingo marker" and you have it.
I like the idea of paint dauber bottles. I have a small spray bottle on my belt when I go walking for that occasional application. Generally though, I need more volume (and I like the added length of the applicator wand when cutting with a chain saw or brush cutter).
I bought a couple of buckthorn blasters. They are like a paint dauber I think: small plastic bottle with sponge over the top. Fill it up then squeeze to fill the foam, then dab. They were nice because they were small and never spill. The problem was that the sponge wore out immediately, like within a day. I then experimented with someone over the top to protect the sponge. I used kitchen wipers; firmer than paper but not as tough as fabric, and held it on with an elastic band. The herbicides regraded the elastic band, which is probably why Jim uses the metal clamp: much better! Now that I have watched this video a few times I realize I can resurrect my little buckthorn blaster bottles by following Jim’s advice: fabric held on with metal clamp. They will be handy for small pocket sized jobs when you don’t want to get all the big gear out.
Thanks. I used this on a forest edge urban setting. The location is a yard with a lot of trees spread by bird dropping. This technique was very helpful in eastern Nebraska.
The dog gets greatest supporting actor award. What did she do with that stick??
I'll have to go back and watch the video! If she had a stick, I'm sure she chewed it up.
Jim, great info on how to modify a sprayer for cut and spray applications. I primarily use my backpack sprayer for use on invasives such as buckthorn, Canadian thistle, burdock, and garlic mustard but I have a pond so I can’t girdle the buckthorn. Since I need to use an aquatic glyphosate, it will require a cut and spray application. Your advice on modifying a sprayer will really help. I also just subscribed since I really appreciate your knowledge. I have 40 acres full of invasive and would like to contact you on an occasion for advice.
This is an excellent video. I'll have to make a modified sprayer like this .
It has been very useful to us. I think the sponge worked better than the trimmings of the nylon cloth.
Will this work for multi flora. I have used a sprayer to spray the bush but that did drift a lot and these plants are 12to 15ft tall. They are very hard to kill these big plants.
I wanted to ask about this thistle. Not milk not pasture not nice
Feel free to send a picture to Jim@TheWoodlandSteward.com. I can't guarantee that I can tell you what it is from a picture, but we can give it a try.
I like this guy!
Have looked all over for the indicator dye. Where can you get that hot pink color?
I think it is probably just fabric dye; Jim will correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s what I use in glyphosate. The difference I have noticed from the usual herbicide blue dye is that the red lasts a lot longer. What I mean is that a few weeks later the blue has faded or washed away whereas the red lasts. I used the blue with triclopyr. I’m not sure if the blue is meant to fade away. It’s still useful in knowing that you haven’t missed any cut stumps on the day, but not useful for making it easy to find the treated stumps months later. If you are generous with the amount of red fabric dye, the little pink cut stump will stay pink for a while.
@@mayboggess2783 thanks for the help. Will try that.
very nice, I have many acres to do and this should help.
Good luck! It is a good workout.
Hi. What are you using for your indicator? The red coloring?
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Nice info!! Can I apply herbicide like this in March & April or do I need to wait tel late fall?
The problem with applying herbicide to cut stems in the spring is that there tends to be a strong sap flow up from the roots. Theoretically, that flow should be up through the xylem tissue (the woody part of the trunk just inside the cambium), while you are applying the herbicide to the phloem (just under the bark and to the outside of the cambium), so the plant should still take up the herbicide. In practice, though, the flow of sap can be so strong that it washes the herbicide away. I focus on Garlic Mustard removal in the spring, so I'm not doing any cut stem treatments now anyway, so I can't really share with you how effective spring treatments are for various woody invasives. Maybe someone else could leave a comment, or you could let us know what you find if you choose to do it.
Maybe I’ll uproot some this spring & do herbicide this fall. Kinda difficult to get in the woods in the fall due to deer hunting.
I wondered the same. We have acres thick with honeysuckle that I’m anxious to eradicate. For now (in June), I will trim back the overgrowth on our trails, pull what can be pulled, and cut and treat the rest in the fall. These videos are so informative. We are in Butler County and these plants are everywhere!
@@TheWoodlandSteward Have you had effective termination in late winter (January and February) before sap begins to flow using this method?
Great info!
Glad it was helpful!
Great info on the gear!
Glad it was helpful!
Just bought a sprayer. Glad I found this video, gonna tune mine up now. I plan on using Dow Tordon on the Honeysuckle, any experience with it?
Thanks for the vids!!
Tordon can be released by the roots and can kill nearby plants. I think there is a warning on the label to not use it if there are valuable plants in the area. I avoid it.
@@TheWoodlandSteward Interesting. I stopped using tordon for hack and squirt on ailanthus because it wasn't super effective on the bigger trees, but also because I noticed that it caused partial wilting on some adjacent paw paws.
I noticed the same with Tordon on a few paw paws but it never actually killed one. I don't use Tordon anymore. I've had excellent results with undiluted water-based triclopyr (44% i think, Alligare 3 was the brand) for hack and squirt on ailanthus.