North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Don Yellman <don.yellman@webformation.com>]

Sherwin:

When the addition of a new substance to your spray tank causes a problem, the 
finger of suspicion points to that substance, wouldn't you say?  The calcium 
product normally used on apples is chemically calcium chloride, the same 
thing used to de-ice roads, with many other uses in food processing and 
industry.

I am not a chemist and cannot provide a molecular explanation, but I would 
say your sticker/spreader is precipitating the calcium out of solution and 
depositing it on the bottom of your sprayer.   The instructions on my calcium 
solution call for about 2.5 fluid ounces per gallon, which is quite a bit in 
terms of volume.  How much cacium solution are you adding to a 2- gallon 
sprayer?

I have noticed that sticker/spreader can easily cause sprayer clogging with 
any mix when used at the recommended rate, which seems quite high to me.  
Consequently, when I use sticker/spreader, I reduce the quantity to about 1/3 
that recommended on the label.  How many fluid ounces of sticker/spreader are 
you using in a 2-gallon mix?  My guess is that a reduction of either the 
calcium solution or the sticker spreader in your mix would reduce the 
deposits in your sprayer by a proportional amount.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA