How to Use Herbicides

Herbicides kill weeds--the crabgrass, dandelions, and other unwanted greenery that infiltrates your lawn and garden. Certain herbicides are designed to target specific weeds. Others treat a diverse assortment. It's important to apply herbicides accurately and safely to prevent damage to your plants and lawn, to avoid wasting product, which can often be expensive, as well as to avoid exposure to your children and your pets, which can be a health risk. Follow these steps to apply herbicide correctly.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden sprayer

Apply Herbicides Correctly for Best Results

1. Choose a quality herbicide sprayer with an adjustable nozzle. Pump sprayers usually come in one and two-gallon sizes and are available at most nurseries, hardware and home supply stores. Select the one you can most easily lift when it is full.

2. Determine how large an area you plan to treat. This will decide how much herbicide you will need to prepare. Note that depending on your sprayer size, you may have to mix more than one batch to cover an area.

3. Read the label carefully, including emergency instructions. Not only do you want to know how much to prepare and how often to apply it, you want to know what to do if the spray comes in contact with your eyes or skin.

4. Dress correctly. You don’t want herbicide on your skin. Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt and a hat. Wear gloves to protect your hands. Wear shoes not sandals. Be properly dressed before mixing the spray to protect yourself.

5. Mix the herbicide according to directions and spray as directed on the weeds, making sure to thoroughly cover them. Avoid getting the herbicide on “good” garden plants--they may be damaged or even killed. Do not spray on days when your sprinklers will be going; most herbicides need 24 hours to “set”.

6. Consider using powder and granule herbicides. Herbicides can be mixed with fertilizers and pre-emergent treatments (before the weeds start to appear), which are usually in the form of a powder or granules dispensed by hand or a spreader. They take longer to have an effect but are lower risk from the standpoint of exposure. Another option is to go organic. There are organic herbicides which are environmentally friendly and people friendly. Again, these usually take longer to work.

Tips & Warnings

• Stay off or away from grass and plants until the application dries to avoid getting it on your feet, hands and skin. Make sure the kids and pets stay off as well.
• Clean equipment immediately after use, both inside and out. Thoroughly rinse the container, sprayer hose and nozzle. Dump the rinse water in the same place you have just treated your plants or lawn. Do not dump it down the sewer drain.
• Clean up yourself. Always wash your hands with soap and water after spraying. Change your clothes, and take a shower to make sure it’s all off of you. Wash your clothes separately, because no matter what you do, there will be some spray residue on them.
• Don’t apply herbicide in windy conditions. Do it on a calm day to prevent spray from accidentally coming back on your face, skin or on pets and children.
• Do not combined different herbicides or herbicides and pesticides to avoid dangerous chemical reactions.

Resources

• Selecting an herbicide sprayer.
• Choosing the right herbicide.