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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] sprayer type for mixed veggies, foliar feeding

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  • From: Willie McKemie <mf AT austinfarm.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] sprayer type for mixed veggies, foliar feeding
  • Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 08:53:41 -0500

On Mon, Jun 11, 2007 at 08:55:17AM -0400, Goodwill at Homefields Farm wrote:
>
> We have 5 acres of mixed veggies (organic CSA) and do some spraying and
> a lot of foliar feeding. We have outgrown out Stihl backpack mist
> blower and are looking for something better suited, and i'm wondering
> what your experience would recommend:

Many years ago, I used a 50 gallon diaphragm pump mist blower as an
orchard sprayer. The 50 gallon capacity was not enough for the ~10
acre orchard and I replaced it with a 300 gallon diaphragm pump trailer
mist blower. That worked well as a 10 acre orchard sprayer.

I have my vegetable fields laid out in 50 foot widths (10 5' rows in
each). The trailer sprayer would not reliably reach the centers of the
fields. I then got a 500 gallon Nut Hustler pecan sprayer with a
moveable volute. That did reach to the centers of the fields and does
a fine job of spraying both peaches and vegetable. Probably, any
blower with a directable volute would work as well on vegetables.

Now days, I rarely use the the Nut Hustler; it is just too much trouble
to get organized to do a spray job. I now mostly use a cheap 15 gallon
electric sprayer mounted on a high clearance tractor. Adjustable booms
allow me to spray one, two, or three rows at a time; that allows me to
spray three rows while driving over only one row. I like the setup
because I can easily get organized to spray only one or two rows; the
capacity of the sprayer is about 12 ~500' rows. Also, when the sprayer
gives me trouble I can easily and cheaply replace parts or the whole
thing.

--
Willie, ONWARD! Through the fog!
http://counter.li.org Linux registered user #228836 since 1995
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