Safe Pesticide Spraying: Protect Your Fruit, Your Family, and the Environment

Spraying fruit trees is necessary—but done wrong, it poisons your harvest. Follow these rules for effective, responsible application.

Equipment Choice

• Hand pump: Precise mixing; limited reach.
• Hose-end: Reaches canopy; mixing varies with water pressure. Use only highly diluted concentrates.

Mixing Protocol

1. Wear rubber gloves, eye protection, long sleeves.
2. Follow label exactly—no estimating.
3. Add pesticide first, then water to volume.

Application Technique

• Ladder for canopy access.
• Even, full sweeps—hit every surface once.
• No double-passing (causes drips).
• Large trees: spray from trunk outward, then exterior.

Critical Safety Rules

• Never let spray drip to ground: Roots absorb chemicals → fruit contamination.
• Wash fruit thoroughly before eating.
• Clean all gear after; launder spray clothes separately.

Precision protects your crop and your conscience.