BUILDING A TREE SPRAYER
que...@texas.net
In article <19970107014...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, tbwb...@aol.com
(TBWBBOYS) wrote:
>I need to either build or purchase an economical sprayer which will spray
>in a vertical direction up to approx. 60 feet. I have close to 300 elm
>trees on my property up to 60 - 70 ft. tall that are slowly being taken
>over by ball moss and hanging moss. This stuff will slowly kill my trees
>if I don't stop it. I can't afford the $1000.00 to $ 2000.00 to buy a
>commercial pressure sprayer. The local agricultural dealer has a P.T.O.
>mounted sprayer which can mount to my tractor but it will only spray up to
>about 30 ft. Any ideas ?
Wow!! What a project! I admire your courage...:-)
I am wondering where you are located. We have ball moss here in Central
Texas, but "hanging moss" is rare. I am assuming you are not in my area.
Never the less, both ball moss and hanging ( or southern moss) are
epiphytes. They are NOT parasitic and they likely are not going to kill your
elm trees. I imagine someone somewhere told you otherwise. More than likely
someone offering to spray them for you.
It is a commonly held belief that these rather begnin plants that only grow
upon the bark are a danger to trees. In all my experience with trees I
have NEVER seen ball moss kill a tree. I HAVE, however, seen many trees
declining from other reasons that happen to have ball moss in them. I can
see how the association might be made.
I'd like to know more about your location and problem.
Dennis Brown, Consulting Arborist
Urban Forestry Resources
Austin, TX
(512) 263-2798
que...@texas.net