treeman82
Addicted to ArboristSite
Are you liscensed? In NY if you are applying anything, even for a company you work for you must be at LEAST an apprentice. However a technician is realistically the lowest you can be and get away with it.
Spray Truck
- Thread starter treeman82
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
There is good money in being a spray tech, especialy if you can get good at I&D diagnosis. I know guys that gross companies 3k a day doing it and make around 40k a year.
I'm sensative to, at least, Sevin, so I don't do much at all any more. I also have some concerns with the ways many companies use it.
One thing to do is get a good tall tree gun and carry several different sized tips with you. Put a ball vaulve behind the quick connect on the gun so you can adjust pressure as needed.
High pressure is not all you need to get the job done. You want to get a good column of mix going up that does not fracture befor nesesary. Taller trees this may call for bigger tips.
Minding the column and adjusting pressuer will get you the fat drops that spread well and reduce drift. This will reduce total usage and keep you from running out before your rout is finnished.
I'm sensative to, at least, Sevin, so I don't do much at all any more. I also have some concerns with the ways many companies use it.
One thing to do is get a good tall tree gun and carry several different sized tips with you. Put a ball vaulve behind the quick connect on the gun so you can adjust pressure as needed.
High pressure is not all you need to get the job done. You want to get a good column of mix going up that does not fracture befor nesesary. Taller trees this may call for bigger tips.
Minding the column and adjusting pressuer will get you the fat drops that spread well and reduce drift. This will reduce total usage and keep you from running out before your rout is finnished.
Nickrosis
Manned by Boderators
We have one spray truck and will have two by the end of the week. The 1000 gallon sprayers are removable - hooked up to the PTO on our Internationals. We also have a 300 gallon lawn tank and a 200 gallon tow-behind sprayer.
I really enjoy spraying because I learn so much. All day, I'm out diagnosing plant problems, and I come home and crack open my Diseases of Trees and Shrubs book and figure out what I couldn't identify in the field. It has helped me to have several mentors as well.
The chemical exposure concerns me in a constructive way - I'm careful to use the PPE and to find ways to avoid contact with the spray and concentrates. Still, I would like to have a blood test in the winter to compare to a summer blood sample to see if the cholinesterase levels are staying within a healthy norm. BTW, most organophosphates act as cholinesterase inhibitors in the body, a part of the nervous system that is used in sending messages, as I understand it.
In big companies, I've heard that PHC is the route to take to upper management. I'm not sure why, though. Is it the hours of paperwork that gets you acquainted with time-wasting techniques? Or do you spend more time with the bosses, hobnobbing and brown nosing? I have no idea.
Good luck with your new job!
Nickrosis
I really enjoy spraying because I learn so much. All day, I'm out diagnosing plant problems, and I come home and crack open my Diseases of Trees and Shrubs book and figure out what I couldn't identify in the field. It has helped me to have several mentors as well.
The chemical exposure concerns me in a constructive way - I'm careful to use the PPE and to find ways to avoid contact with the spray and concentrates. Still, I would like to have a blood test in the winter to compare to a summer blood sample to see if the cholinesterase levels are staying within a healthy norm. BTW, most organophosphates act as cholinesterase inhibitors in the body, a part of the nervous system that is used in sending messages, as I understand it.
In big companies, I've heard that PHC is the route to take to upper management. I'm not sure why, though. Is it the hours of paperwork that gets you acquainted with time-wasting techniques? Or do you spend more time with the bosses, hobnobbing and brown nosing? I have no idea.
Good luck with your new job!
Nickrosis
treeman82
Addicted to ArboristSite
Nick, the way it was explained to me at The Care of Trees is that if you are doing PHC you have a lot of interpersonal contact with clients so that grooms you for higher up positions.
There is nothing wrong with chemical work and it has a definite place in tree care!!
Having said that, I don't do any chem work. I do some site modification work but that is about it.
My customers have trees that get aphids yearly and galls as well. Oaks that annually have their primary buds semi-stripped.
Still though, they live and are VERY healthy trees. I see their neighbors having chem work. Their trees are in the same health despite this. (some get worse) I think tree work is heavily based on selling warm fuzzies. I say that because that is the only benefit these other neighbors get.
My old boss is a big chemical guy. Huge spray rigs, Mauget distributor. A wealth of information. He said that nothing beats the profits from chem work - sell it when you can.
I think that is what most companies are out there doing - ringing the cash register. Sell high N broadcast fert, and get the resulting opportunistic pests with the growth flush (deplenishing CHO reserves)then go out and spay these pests "attacking" the tree.
They all fail to acknowledge the fact that as arborists, our capacity to prevent is exponentially greater than our capacity to cure.
Having said that, I don't do any chem work. I do some site modification work but that is about it.
My customers have trees that get aphids yearly and galls as well. Oaks that annually have their primary buds semi-stripped.
Still though, they live and are VERY healthy trees. I see their neighbors having chem work. Their trees are in the same health despite this. (some get worse) I think tree work is heavily based on selling warm fuzzies. I say that because that is the only benefit these other neighbors get.
My old boss is a big chemical guy. Huge spray rigs, Mauget distributor. A wealth of information. He said that nothing beats the profits from chem work - sell it when you can.
I think that is what most companies are out there doing - ringing the cash register. Sell high N broadcast fert, and get the resulting opportunistic pests with the growth flush (deplenishing CHO reserves)then go out and spay these pests "attacking" the tree.
They all fail to acknowledge the fact that as arborists, our capacity to prevent is exponentially greater than our capacity to cure.
Last edited:
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
I agree with Nate 100%, most preventative applications sold are for spreadsheet management only. Some will effect the trees aesthetic threshold, but few needed for any ecconomic threshold.
High N fer goes beyond the depletion of CHO in that the other elements of the protective and signaling compounds are not available at the rates nessesary to protect the plant. Also studies have shown that there is not net photsynthesis from the exess growth induced by N applications.
I do believe that some sort of amendments are needed in tended landscapes, I undestand Crawford uses seaweed products, not just NPK. I like to hear that.
Though there is less gross proffit out of it, I think the best companies are those that scout a prorety and apply products only when needed, so you cannot charge 3X cost for chemicals and turn your inventory over regularly. You will be doing the right thing for your clientel.
High N fer goes beyond the depletion of CHO in that the other elements of the protective and signaling compounds are not available at the rates nessesary to protect the plant. Also studies have shown that there is not net photsynthesis from the exess growth induced by N applications.
I do believe that some sort of amendments are needed in tended landscapes, I undestand Crawford uses seaweed products, not just NPK. I like to hear that.
Though there is less gross proffit out of it, I think the best companies are those that scout a prorety and apply products only when needed, so you cannot charge 3X cost for chemicals and turn your inventory over regularly. You will be doing the right thing for your clientel.
Nickrosis
Manned by Boderators
JPS! You're using my last name! But yes, we've been using seaweed as our fertilizer for a while now. I've really been looking for ways to target our pest control efforts more specifically than we have in the past. I dislike the broad label products more and more.
By the way, I think I just....
I'm gonna lurk for the weekend. AKA camping
Nickrosis
By the way, I think I just....
I'm gonna lurk for the weekend. AKA camping
Nickrosis
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
Is that some sort of faux pas I've not been told of? Youve used your family name many a times and I was refering to the company as a whole so as not to lump you people in with the other spray times like the one on the north shore, so to speak.
