So, I've ordered the stuff to make Kelp Help and BL Soil Conditioner. I don't have a sprayer yet. I saw Morph's review of the Chapin 6005 and I got to thinking...

I'd like to be able to spray Morph's iron recipe, Kelp Help, BL Soil Conditioner and Tenacity. I think Tenacity needs to be sprayed precisely and in controlled amounts but the other solutions don't seem to need as much accuracy.

So, to cut to chase, I'm lazy and a cheapo. I was thinking of using the Chapin 6005 to spray Kelp Help, BL Conditioner and iron. I know I don't want to over apply these but a hose end sprayer should work, right? I could pickup a small pump sprayer to apply Tenacity in a more precise manner.

I don't have much of a budget for the sprayer ($130 max) and I think that spraying with a small nozzle would take me an hour with 6,000 SQFT of lawn (equivalent to the time it takes to cut the grass). The hose end sprayer is attractive since it's cheap, faster to apply solutions and no pumping.

So, I don't have any experience spraying and I'm looking for input from folks that have been spraying these recipes. When using a pump backpack sprayer to blanket spray a lawn, how often do you have to pump? I’m curious if spraying a lawn 6,000 SQFT lawn with a pump backpack sprayer with a single nozzle is going to be a nightmare. So why should I buy backpack sprayer that requires pumping instead of using hose end attaching sprayers (with exception to Tenacity)?

FastidiousDave wrote:When using a pump backpack sprayer to blanket spray a lawn, how often do you have to pump?

I have the SP0 from SP Systems. I have to pump almost non-stop when blanket spraying.
But I'm using a 3 nozzle boom that paints a 5' wide path.

FastidiousDave wrote:I’m curious if spraying a lawn 6,000 SQFT lawn with a pump backpack sprayer with a single nozzle is going to be a nightmare. So why should I buy backpack sprayer that requires pumping instead of using hose end attaching sprayers (with exception to Tenacity)?

I wouldn't use a hose end sprayer for anything that has a critical application rate.
This includes pretty much any herbicide.

I also use it for Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate, Kelp Help, BL Soil Conditioner, milk. Anything liquid.
I've used the hose end in the past but I've found that the backpack sprayer is easier and faster and way more accurate. If I didn't have the 3 nozzle boom, I'd probably be looking at the Chapin hose end sprayer.

6,000 sq. ft. takes me about 45 minutes if I can get 4 gallons to go over 6,000 sq. ft. by adjusting the nozzle to spray a finer mist. If I got for a heavier rate then I'm at about 1:05 minutes as I have to refill.

All the organic feeding stuff now goes through the EZ Flo, I have a bunch of different backpacks and my wife got me a battery powered one for father's day. I'm spraying the following stuff with the various backpacks:

Messenger
GreenCure
Iron and Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate
Norotron (fall)
Maybe Tenacity with backpack, right now its in a 2 gallon sprayer
RoundUP in the beds
Pre-Emergent

I have 1 gallon sprayers for Pytherin, RoundUp and WeedBGone.

For the BL Soil Conditioner and BL Kelp Help, I think the hose end's actually a bit better. We're not helping out the grass, we want it in the soil--and some variance on application simply doesn't matter. I like to wash it in, but also set the Chapin fairly low-ish (15, about 1/2 an ounce per gallon) to target around 2-3 oz per thousand in a lot of water.

For iron, I use the high setting (3, or 10 oz per gallon, roughly) on a dense ferrous sulfate solution. That does better if sitting on the grass.

For Tenacity and other herbicides, I tend to use cheap one gallon sprayers, clearly marked, and about $8 each at Home Depot. Works great, and application there has to be fairly precise.