Using Chemicals Correctly

Most gardeners will use some form of chemical at one time or another. Garden chemicals should be used with care to minimise impact on ourselves, wildlife and the environment. The following takes a look at how we should use, store and discard chemicals.

Storing Garden Chemicals

Pesticides should be stored in a cool, frost free location out of reach of children and pets. Avoid leaving them in sunny positions where liquids may vaporise or product labels become bleached.

Store powders, granules and dusts above liquids to prevent liquids dripping onto soluble materials.

Store fertilisers and other sundries separately from pesticides to avoid accidental misuse.

Disposing of Garden Chemicals

There are occasions when we have no alternative but to discard chemicals. If you find you have to dispose of garden chemicals, follow these guidelines:

Empty pesticide and weedkiller containers which have held concentrated liquids (ie: those requiring dilution before use), should be rinsed three times, adding the washings to the final spray solution. The empty container can then be placed in the household waste.

Empty pesticide and weedkiller containers that have held Ready-to-Use products can be disposed of directly in the household waste.

Prevention is usually better than cure so try to avoid making up too much of any chemical if you can. It's much easier to make up a little more than to be left with a gallon of chemical! If you do find you have left over solution after spraying, you will have to find a patch of permitted plants or weeds to spray the excess onto. If you have chemicals still in their containers then dilute small quantities and spray this onto permitted plants according to the label instructions.

NEVER pour chemicals down drains, onto bare soil on in watercourses.

How to Use Chemicals Safely

Always check labels for the ways in which a chemical can be used. Not only are these the most effective way of using the material, but adhering to these instructions is a legal requirement. Reading the label before you buy also ensures you do not buy more than you need, thus avoiding storage or disposal issues.

Rubber boots, old clothes or overalls and gloves, although not usually strictly necessary, are a sensible precaution.

Be particularly careful to thoroughly rinse out old containers before discarding in the refuse.

If using a watering can or sprayer make sure that you have one solely for chemical use and avoid confusing it with the can you use for watering. Always check the condition of the can or sprayer prior to use.

Applying Chemicals

Apply the chemical using a spray sufficiently coarse not to drift but fine enough to cover the plants' foliage evenly.

Apply the chemical up to the given dosage per unit area or sufficient to wet foliage without run-off. Never apply chemicals on a windy day.

After spraying, rinse the sprayer with three washes of a small amount of water, spraying this out onto areas, plants or weeds listed on the label. The sprayer will then be safe to store.

Keep pets and children away from treated areas until the spray has dried.

Chemicals can be applied with sprayers. Sprayers are available in most garden centres and DIY chains, and make it much easier to apply weedkillers, insecticides and other sprays to a large area than using ready-to-use packs with nozzles. They are suitable for applying many garden chemicals such as fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, weedkillers, algae and mosskillers and come in many sizes, from small 500ml hand-held misters to large 16-litre knapsacks. The large sprayers are particularly good for applying weedkillers to big areas. Always ensure you follow the label instructions to the letter when making up your chemical and applying it to the area in question.

An alternative to the chemicals that require dilution are ready-to-use chemicals. These are very popular with gardeners and there are a wide range of products available in many sizes from all sorts of retailers. The advantages of ready-to-use products is that they are easy to use and are ready to go whenever you need them; there's no need to make up a solution. The disadvantage is the cost. It is far cheaper to make up a 3-litre (¾ gallon) solution of weedkiller from a concentrate than to buy the equivalent as a ready-to-use product. But, if you never use this much at one time, the ready-to-use option is the best one.

Remember to use separate sprayers for weedkillers, and for other purposes - if not, cross-contamination could be a problem unless thorough washing between materials is carried out.

Check that the sprayer is functioning correctly by filling with water and testing it, before using the sprayer to apply pesticides.

When spraying, keep the nozzle pointing downwards, and keep it quite close to ground level, to avoid spray drifting onto unwanted areas. The spray pattern widens with distance from the nozzle.

To clean the sprayer, fill it three times with approximately 250ml (½ pint) of water, disposing of the washings by spraying them back onto areas suitable to treat.

Tips

• Prior to purchasing pesticides, check the product is effective in controlling the individual pest, disease or weed you intend to treat
• Avoid purchasing more than you will use up in a year
• Never pour pesticides into other containers as the product label holds vital information regarding its active ingredients, registration numbers, method of application, dosage rate, and most importantly the problem it combats. This information is also crucial to the emergency services should any accidents occur
• Plants often require protecting from pests, diseases and competitive weeds. Consider non-chemical solutions first, but if a chemical control is used, follow the instructions accurately to ensure that people, pets and the wider environment are kept safe
• Avoid very hot, sunny days, as plants are less active and therefore less efficient at absorbing the chemical. Leaf scorch can be problematic when spraying any chemicals in the heat of the day, and the chemical solution may evaporate, giving off fumes that are potentially harmful to other plants
• Read the label and read it again!