# My first time spraying N



## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Actually my first time spraying anything.

I picked up a the Chapin 24v backpack sprayer and a bag of urea.

I'm planning to do 1 lb/k of urea (0.5lb/k of N) every 2 weeks. Do I have this right:

1) Spray my full yard with water and figure out at my pace of walking how many gallons it takes
2)My lawn is 5000sqft so I need to disolve 5lbs urea in whatever volume of water I determine above.
3)Spray it and let it sit for 4hrs
4)Water it in

?

I did some practice on the driveway with water and I found the nozzle left a pretty strong line at the edges of the spray pattern. Would it be worth splitting the 5lbs across 2 applications so I can minimize this and have more even distribution? Or walking twice as quickly so I can make a 2nd pass? Is colorant recommended, even if just for my first few times?

Thanks!


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

davegravy said:


> Actually my first time spraying anything.
> 
> I picked up a the Chapin 24v backpack sprayer and a bag of urea.
> 
> ...


Why did you decide you want to spray? at the rate you posted foliar app is a 'killer'!
You can spreader apply 0.5 every 2 weeks and water in, if you decided to do the N blitz.
If not, where are you at with your lawn?
The more info we have, the more precise/personalized answer you will get.
For you Chapin, see the tread for teejet nozzles. They must fit (not the quick connect ones)
M


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

@gergelybg thanks for the quick reply.

I'd like to spray because I have a new toy and I need to use it  Just kidding. I have a spreader but it's not very good and I have a hard time controlling it. The rate of spread increases dramatically as I go from full hopper to empty hopper. I've used it for grass seed and hate it.

Not sure what you mean "where are you at with your lawn?" My lawn log is here: https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11955 and yeah I was planning on doing the blitz plus applying prodiamine.

Thanks I'll look into those nozzles.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@davegravy 3rd attempt to post...
I have read your journal. It is hard to keep up. Just finished seed down and 2 long days.
I very well understand the toy joy . I bought a Ryobi 4gal from US. Can't be happier. Works very well with my 'organic' lawn.
Foliar app of N is very suitable to sandy soil (all flushes faster, like in golf courses) and when you spoon feed (summer for example). As far as I undertand N blitz is all about a 'massive' amount of N in 2 months. Your can not take it foliar... Not urea for sure. Buy a cheap Scott's spreader for 40CAD and go. It will look a funny small amount of granules but it is 46% N.
Get good nozzles and practice. Teejet are awesome. I use it for my organic Kelp, Humic and micros . The all organic guy now.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

A teejet nozzle will give you a better pattern, but you plan to water this in, so not as critical for this application.

I would not let it sit for 4hrs at that rates with the edge pattern your nozzle is giving you. Just water it in immediately. You will like the results.

You question around splitting the quantity is a good one. If you split the qty of urea but keep the same qty of water, then yes do a second pass in a different direction. This is actually a better approach since the output is not as concentrated.

Overall, this will give you more experience spraying and getting used to your system. For plant grow regulators or fungicide you will want more even distribution. The teejet nozzles really make a difference. I use the AIXR11004 with a battery Chapin (like yours). It gives me 1g/ksqft at my walking speed. Dyes help the first few times. Using the mower stripe pattern also helps (~20in wide matches the spray pattern).

You got this.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

This video is how I learned to do this. He has the proper PPE and good tips. I don't do the sky pole marking, but maybe I should because I have lost track of my stripes in the past.

https://youtu.be/sYsSVAfEnTk


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@g-man mower stripes are a perfect GPS. Use them, but forgot to include that trick. Thanks for chiming in.
M


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Thanks all! Can't wait to try this


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## Dkrem (Mar 16, 2019)

Make sure to flush your sprayer and wetted parts well after running the urea, it will eat things up pretty quick.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Dkrem said:


> Make sure to flush your sprayer and wetted parts well after running the urea, it will eat things up pretty quick.


Good to know, thanks!

Are there specific materials it tends to react with? Like plastic? Fertilizer in general I thought I read tends to stain concrete.


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## Dkrem (Mar 16, 2019)

davegravy said:


> Are there specific materials it tends to react with? Like plastic? Fertilizer in general I thought I read tends to stain concrete.


Salt eats metal, plastic is fine.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Dkrem said:


> davegravy said:
> 
> 
> > Are there specific materials it tends to react with? Like plastic? Fertilizer in general I thought I read tends to stain concrete.
> ...


Oh ok it's just the salt component and metal corrosion then. I thought maybe there was another chemical reaction going on with the nitrogen or something I had to worry about.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

There's no issue with me putting prodiamine in the tank with the urea, right?

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4695&p=89972&hilit=grams#p89972


Sinclair said:


> Is it Alligare 65WDG? If so you dissolve a tiny amount in water as g-man said.
> 
> You need a very accurate digital scale with decimal grams precision.


I have a scale that only has grams precision. Is this really going to be a problem?


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## ryeguy (Sep 28, 2017)

davegravy said:


> There's no issue with me putting prodiamine in the tank with the urea, right?
> 
> https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4695&p=89972&hilit=grams#p89972
> 
> ...


That product specifies a dose of 0.5-1.5lbs per acre which translates to 5.2g to 15.6g per 1k. Those amounts aren't small enough to be worried about sub-gram precision IMO.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

It's done, watering in now. Is 0.5in of water enough? Can I get away with less (takes a while to water the whole lawn manually)


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

How many lb of N did you apply and in how much water?


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Harts said:


> How many lb of N did you apply and in how much water?


0.5lbs N in about 7.5gal


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

0.5lb of N for the entire lawn or per ksqft? 7.5g for the entire lawn?

Yes, 0.5in is more than enough. The idea is to wash the fertilizer off the leaves.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Oops sorry 0.5 N per sqft, 3400sqft.

7.5gal for the whole lawn.

All the colourant was washed off the leaves so I have to assume the urea was too. I guess I'll find out in the next couple days?


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

So approx 2 gallons per ksqft....


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

You are more than fine with 2g/ksqft carrier and 0.5in irrigation.


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## NJ-lawn (Jun 25, 2018)

g-man said:


> A teejet nozzle will give you a better pattern, but you plan to water this in, so not as critical for this application.
> 
> I would not let it sit for 4hrs at that rates with the edge pattern your nozzle is giving you. Just water it in immediately. You will like the results.
> 
> ...


Could the AIXR11004 tee jet nozzle also be used for spraying Prodiamine ? I'm not very experienced in choosing the correct nozzles. Also which color did you buy? I have the same backpack sprayer.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Harts said:


> So approx 2 gallons per ksqft....


Correct


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@NJ-lawn I use it for soil and foliar application. It is good with wind/drift and it is a good compromise. I use the red one (004).


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## NJ-lawn (Jun 25, 2018)

Awesome thx


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

Show us an update of the lawn when you get a chance.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

krusej23 said:


> Show us an update of the lawn when you get a chance.


I posted in my log thread, have a look!

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11955&p=202891#p202891


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