PESTICIDES/FERTILIZERS: Five Tips for Techs

When using postemergent herbicides, the product label is a lawn care operator’s (LCO) best friend. “In this industry, the label is the law,” says Gary LaScalea, president of GroGreen, Plano, Texas. “It contains strict directions of how a product should be used and LCOs need to follow them.”
 
Unfortunately, no matter how many times they read the label, LCOs still make mistakes. From improper equipment calibration to using postemergents in the wrong climate conditions, these mistakes waste product and prevent a job from being done right. Here are five factors LCOs should keep in mind when using postemergent products to ensure a safe, effective application.

1. CLIMATE CONDITIONS.  Because the start of the spring season varies from region to region, the best way to determine when to apply postemergents is by gauging soil temperature. Postemergents offer the best control when the soil temperature reaches 65 degrees and plants are actively growing. “Timing of postemergent herbicide applications is important in order to target the correct growth stage of the weed that is most susceptible to the product applied,” says Dean Mosdell, field technical manager for Syngenta Professional Products, Greensboro, N.C. “Young, actively growing weeds are usually the most susceptible, but some products may only have early postemergent activity, such as prior to tillering.”
 
While postemergents shouldn’t be applied when it’s too cold, they also shouldn’t be used when it’s too hot. When air temperatures rise above 90 degrees, LCOs should reconsider making an application to avoid burning plant tips and roots. “The goal is to not apply them too early or too late in the growing season,” says Tony Richardson, Lawn Doctor franchise owner in Randallstown, Md. “If you miss the window, weeds will be harder to control.”
 
In Maryland, Richardson applies postemergents from the third week of March until the end of May. Before or after this time frame, stubborn weeds like violets are almost impossible to control, he says. Scott Robinson, owner of a Lawn Doctor franchise in Port St. Lucie, Fla., uses postemergents pretty much year-round. But the state’s drought conditions are another environmental factor LCOs need to note when using postemergent products. “Right now, many lawns are just too dry to use postemergents,” he says. “To avoid tip burning, especially in the summer, we’ve had to tell homeowners just to live with the weed problems they have until the climate conditions change and we can come back and take care of them.”
 
Contractors should also be aware of products like surfactants, which act as sticking agents and can help LCOs ensure a successful application during rainy times. (For more information on surfactants, see “Stick to It” on page 137.)

2. WEED ID. Plant identification is an important skill when using postemergents because the products will only manage the weeds they’re formulated to control. Because turf and weeds differ from region to region, quality applications require regional knowledge and training. “Rookie LCOs sometimes identify a weed as any plant that looks different from the turf,” Robinson says. “But really there are countless categories of broadleaf weeds and a product will only control the ones listed on its label.” “Spraying just to spray” without knowing what weeds to look for is a waste of an LCO’s time and product, he adds.
 
Richardson agrees plant identification is one of the more challenging skills for LCOs to learn, and it can take about a year of in-field training to build a confident knowledge base. “You can look at photos and books, but seeing things in the field, especially diseases and pests, is a much better way to learn,” he says.
 
Technicians at GroGreen keep weed identification books in their trucks at all times. Managers quiz applicators regularly about different weeds by asking questions like what it is, if they’ve seen it on the job and how they’d control it. They also hold “Weed of the Week” training sessions, in which technicians bring in a weed they encountered during the week, present it to the group and explain what it is and how to control it. “It puts a little pressure on crews to pay attention and know their stuff,” LaScalea says.

3. TIPS TO TRAIN. Training is necessary to establish a crew of knowledgeable LCOs who can use postemergents correctly. While this training begins with the state pesticide licensing necessary to legally use postemergents, it doesn’t stop there.
 
Most LCOs partake in refresher training once they join a company. “Applicators should receive training on weed and pest identification and growth stages,” Mosdell says. “They should also be trained on using the equipment, calibration and what a correct application should look like, such as patterns and proper application overlap.”
 
Robinson’s crews have two weeks of training when they come on board. During the first week, new techs shadow crews on the job to learn basics like operating machinery, mixing products and application rates. The second week is more hands on, and techs learn how to apply the product while accompanied by an experienced technician who monitors the process.
 
Richardson’s crews also receive two to three weeks of training before they can apply in the field unsupervised. Proper equipment calibration is one element he emphasizes. A record card on each machine keeps track of when the machine was last calibrated and what it was calibrated to.
 
Frequency of calibration depends on the type of equipment and how often it’s used, Mosdell says. “Equipment does wear over time with use,” he says. “Applicators should observe if a spreader or sprayer pattern looks uniform, and if the amount of product applied roughly matches the desired application rate.”

4. PRICING POINTERS. Postemergent applications need to be priced accurately to be profitable. Because each client’s lawn is different, most LCOs price each lawn individually depending on its size and how much product is used. “Some lawns are cleaner than others,” Robinson says. “We don’t spray unnecessarily just so we can charge more.”
 
Robinson aims for a 20 to 30 percent return on his postemergent application services. He charges a rate per 1,000 square feet by considering factors such as the amount of product used, labor, fuel costs and even insurance rates. An average-sized application is between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet and costs $58 to $65. The company’s primary lawn care program involves eight visits per year that include fertilization and surface pest and weed control.
 
Like Robinson, LaScalea charges by the square foot or acre and aims for a 20-percent return. “Now that costs of everything – fuel, materials, labor – have increased dramatically, pricing is something we have to take a harder look at,” he says.
 
For many LCOs, pricing depends on the economy, not just nationally but locally. For example, LCOs in the high-end Palm Beach area are able to charge more for their postemergent services than LCOs in the Port St. Lucie area, Robinson says. He also alters his rate per 1,000 square feet based on fluctuating gas prices and the rising cost of lawn care products, particularly fertilizer.

5. CONTAMINATION EXAMINATION. Cross contamination occurs if LCOs don’t neutralize, or thoroughly clean, their machinery between jobs. When different weed controls mix together, the outcome can be disastrous to a lawn. Root and tip burn can occur, and beneficial plant material can be killed unintentionally. Lesions on leaf blade tips are one of the first signs product contamination occurred.
 
In fact, some LCOs suggest using a different piece of machinery for each job just to avoid this issue. “LCOs should use a new tank for each property,” Robinson says. “Especially when switching from a non-selective to a selective weed control, it’s important there are no conflicting product residues.”
 
Robinson labels each of his tanks so crews know which product it’s used for. About once a quarter, he neutralizes each machine, and also takes this time to calibrate, repair and replace parts like seals, pumps, screens and gaskets – a process that takes about 20 minutes per machine, he says. “This is a great way to spend a rain day,” he says. “If you can’t get out and spray then you might as well get your equipment in good shape for the next time you can.” LL