FIMCO 40 Gallon Sprayer vs 9 acres of fescue

[LarryBud]

I Folks,

I have a FIMCO 40 gallon sprayer which came with my tractor purchase ( L3130 ).

I want to kill off a 9 acre field with glyphosate for winter planting of a pollinator mix. Do you think this sprayer ( and my novice skill set ) is up for the job?

I'd like to do it myself and think I'll have trouble finding a custom guy who will come out for such a small job.

I'm thinking I mix to label, check the nozzles and give it a go. I'm not sure how I'd measure gallon / acre flow.

Am I crazy for trying?

 

[Elliott in GA]

You can put some water in the tank, and then you can measure nozzle output while stationary using a marked pitcher/measurer -check more than one nozzle. You can use your phone with an app to measure/test your ground speed with your smart phone. With that information, you can determine your gallons per acre.

You probably will have to refill the tank several times, but the sprayer will do the job.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I'd recommend using dye so you keep up with where you've sprayed. The dye I've used fades in a few days.

 

[LarryBud]

Good advice. I'm thinking I can get the job done with the current equipment.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Should be not problem, I use a 25 gallon sprayer on my ATV to spray 2.5 to 3 acres.

I buy my glyphosate from tractor Supply it is 41%. We just sprayed our plots last Monday and when I was there Sunday is was dead dead. I just ride in second gear on my ATV and use 1.5 oz to the gallon for the mix. Label will say much more I find unless I'm spraying mature palnts vines, briars, etc. it is not needed. The plots were full of grass and weeds tall as the 4 wheeler and the 1.5 oz per gallon of water worked well.

Early on setting up my sprayer I filled it with water and drove on the road at different speeds to see how wet and consistent the coverage was. Maybe try this to see how your coverage is as well as the width you are covering.

We usually go back one week after spraying to see how well we did. I strap on a 5 gallon back pack sprayer and hit any spots we missed.

One thing to note try and not spray when you have little moisture in the soil as the grass goes into a dormant state and will not absorb the chemical as well.

I like to spray if it has been dry within a day or 2 after a rain.

Few years back had 75 gallons to spray on paths and parking area. I sprayed it went back week later it was green as a gourd! The only place it was dead was in a low area that is shaded some and stays moist there. Lesson learned for me, spray when we have moisture.

Best of luck.
Jay

 

[Russell King]

One other point is to mix it on the weaker end of the spectrum and them it takes longer to kill plants but gets into the whole plant more so kills the roots more. Try a few small areas with various strengths to see what works best.

That is how I finally knocked down Johnson grass on my property of 5 acres.

Also remember that your tractor may get the herbicide on it and can transfer that to places you don’t want it so let it dry or rinse it off in the field area.

 

[JimmyJazz]

I have seen it applied by an applicator dragged behind a tractor or ATV. Looks like a carpeted 2x4 where the '"carpet" is continually kept wet with weed killer. Just a thought. Also, I have an engine powered backpack sprayer popular on banana plantations (if you believe the internet). A real third world contraption. Bought it to apply insecticide to my log house and other country structures. If you plan on spraying regularly you might consider investing in one. Maybe $200 or so. Its a beast. Sends a plume of highly toxic poison probably 30 feet into the air. Sprays about a gallon a minute. Up there with a chain saw in terms of manliness.

 

[DustyRusty]

Make sure to use a extremely good respirator, or it will take you out also.

 

[LarryBud]

Make sure to use a extremely good respirator, or it will take you out also.

Good Point:

I was planning on a covid type mask. Any suggestion on a respirator?

 

[JimmyJazz]

Make sure to use a extremely good respirator, or it will take you out also.

I do and fully covered.Thanks

 

[old and tired]

Am I crazy for trying?

No...

If you have the time, I would fill it up with water and see how far you can spray the 40 gallons of water out. I would base your speed on the areas that you need to slow down and try to keep that speed for the whole 9 acres.

FIMCO 40 Gallon 3 Point Sprayer 12V 4 Nozzle

The FIMCO 40 Gallon 3 Point Sprayer is designed to work with small to mid-size farm tractors. The UV resistant, molded polymer tank has a 5 inch tethe...

www.fimcoindustries.com

You should be pretty close to 2.4 GPA (do you have the manual? It doesn't list what speed for the 2.4 GPA, might be 3 mph). I would look at driving 1.5 mph to get a higher GPA (more liquid, better coverage).

I would also, put the least amount of chemical to kill the plants, takes longer to show it dying but the kill will last longer.