Fertilizers and Bug control

[Keith Corwell]

Hi all I am going to ask another why question. Why is it soo important that you water after you applied Fertilizers and Bug control

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) Hi all :) I am going to ask another why question. :) Why is it soo important that you water after you applied Fertilizers and Bug :) control :) :) :) To wash the chemical where needed in case of granular fertilizer and I would guess to help reduce chance of burning the leaves. For granular insecticide the chemical is "washed" off the granules to form a uniform application. For liquid insecticide treatment it's not a bad idea to water before treatment, once again to help with a uniform application.

[sherwindu]

Just be aware that if you are using any kind of pre-dissolved insecticide or fungicide, you will be washing it off the plant where it will do no good. For these kinds of sprays, you may want to mix in a 'sticker' substance to assure it won't be washed away by rain or sprinkling. Also, time your spraying so there is no rain predicted for a few days so the sprays can do their work.

Sherw> > :) Hi all

This last step is not necessary if you do a good job of mixing the chemicals with water.

[Snooze]

The reason is different for fertilizers and bug control.

For pelletized snail and slug bait, watering the pellets causes them to expand and turn into a lump of poison impregnated sawdust. This reduces the risk that the pellets will be eaten by pets or small children, that mistake them for something tasty.

For granular fertilizers, watering afterwards removes the fertilizer dust from the leaves. The dust can burn the plants, because it's too strong for the plant to handle. Finally watering helps settle the fertilizer, preventing it from being blown away, especially for finely ground "fast absorbing" fertilizers.

Watering plants after applying insecticides is not always desirable. Read the directions for the product you are using. Sometimes a residual is desired, for example some aphid and ant pesticides recommend you mix in a few spoonfuls of sugar to improve the effectiveness. Insecticidal soaps need a dwell time to properly work, so do some fungicides, provided it's not predicted to be a warm sunny day.

-S

[Keith Corwell]