Sprayer Care

Fungicides are important for controlling a range of diseases. In my Brisbane garden, I use solutions of milk, wettable sulphur and copper based fungicides. Sprayers are important pieces of equipment, which should always be ready for action and so it’s essential that they are properly maintained.

When you’ve finished spraying, it’s time to service the equipment. Use fresh water to thoroughly rinse the whole device and empty the rinsing water into the garden – don’t put it down the drain. Certain chemical fungicides can actually corrode the brass nozzle. Others can block the nozzle. But just use a sewing needle to unblock it. Rinse three times. This might sound fussy, but it’s important to ensure there’s no residue in the tank and not in the pipe.

Sometimes fungicides form a lime scale that might be similar to what you get in your kettle. It’s important to rinse and clean because any residue from a previous spray may chemically react with future sprays. And the result might be harmful to plants, which undermines the reason for spraying.