Handheld and portable foliar sprayers have been used for years by backyard gardeners and farmers. But what are they for? They have many uses including applying fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, as well as specific chemical blends that can benefit specific plants.  The majority of applications will involve spraying the live parts of plants, shrubs, and trees.

Typically, spray additives will come in powder or liquid and are meant to be mixed with water. Be sure to read the labels and be aware of any safety precautions before you mix chemicals.

In recent years, many gardeners have heard about the benefits of using compost teas. A compost tea is a liquid version of compost that can be applied to your plants, shrubs, or trees. Making compost tea can be very simple or very complex and there are lots of recipes and tutorials online. It can be as simple as putting some cut plants in a bucket, and letting it soak in water for a few days, filtering out the liquid, and using that for compost tea. More advanced recipes can include using manures and creating an aeration system (sometimes called a bubbler). There are many benefits of using compost teas which can range from natural insecticides, applying fertilizer, and introducing microbacteria into the soil.

Applying your compost tea with a foliar sprayer is ideal. County Farm Centre has several models of foliar sprayers. A simple hand pump small unit or a larger backpack sprayer are available at our store.

Be sure to filter out any particulates before adding to your foliar sprayer to prevent clogging in the nozzles.