Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Spraying Vs Dusting
There is really no answer to the question of
whether it is better to dust or to spray. In most
gardens you will do both, depending on the
weather, the plant, the fungicide you want to
use, and how much time and help you have.
Some orchardists prefer dusting because they
can get around the trees quickly in a rain, whereas
to apply a spray they must wait until the foliage is
dry. But for ornamentals exactly the opposite is
true! You cannot dust a shrub even slightly wet
with rain or dew without having a hideous
splotchy effect that persists for a long time. If
absolutely necessary you can spray while the
plants are still slightly wet, though the spray may
not stick quite as well, and you may want to make
the next application a bit sooner. It is easier to
spray than to dust on a windy day. Also, in dusting
you are somewhat more likely to get possibly
toxic materials into your lungs than in spraying.
The chief points in favor of dusting are the ease
and speed of application and the fact that you do
not have to clean out the duster after each dusting.
Sprayers have to be cleaned, often between
different sprays, and they must be rinsed with at
least two changes of water pumped through the
system at the end of every day. Occasionally they
must be taken apart, the tank soaked in trisodium
phosphate or washing soda, the strainers and noz-
zles in kerosene, wire run through the spray rods,
then all put together and rinsed with water.
