Golf & Professional Turf

Proper Spray Tank Mixing Order

Described below are two simple examples of a proper mixing order.

An easy to remember mixing order acronym that can keep you out of a Spray Day Disaster is, W-A-L-E-S.

  

W  -   Wettable Powders (WP, WDG, DF, WSP) 
 A  -   Agitate tank 
 L  -   Liquid products 
 E  -   Emmulsifiable Concentrates 
 S  –  Surfactants 

 

Start with a clean spray tank and fill  ⅔ - ¾ full, then add products in the order listed above. 

 

Wettable powders and dry flowable products need to be dissolved before adding other products. The point is to dissolve the Wettable powders and water dispersible granules first in your mixing procedure. With some soluble products, you may premix in a bucket to make slurry and then slowly add to your spray tank. 

 

     Key Points:

          - Fill Spray Tank ¾ full of water before adding any products „

          - Maintain active agitation throughout mixing process

          - Add individual products into the tank one at a time, do not cross streams. 

 

A more in-depth mixing order procedure is as follows.

Prior to any fertilizer or pesticide application, all spray mixing and application equipment must 
be cleaned. A quality tank cleaner is recommended. Carefully observe all cleaning directions on the pesticide and fertilizer label. Fill the 
spray or mix tank at least one half full of water and begin agitation. To minimize potential issues, fill spray tank ¾ full of water before 
adding any products.

Add pesticides and/or fertilizers as directed by labeling or in the following sequence: 

  1. Dry flowables or water dispersible granules 
  2. Wettable powders 
  3. Flowables 
  4. Emmulsifiable concentrates 
  5. Water based solutions 
  6. Compatibility agents 
  7. Micronutrients and Fertilizers 
  8. Spray adjuvants

Before mixing multiple chemicals and/or fertilizers in the tank, confirm product compatibility by performing a jar test.

Be sure to mix with plenty of water.

When filling your tank, some superintendents are adding many different products into their tank. Remember to never “cross the streams”. If different 
liquid products come into contact as they come out of the jug and make contact with each other before they are diluted by the spray tank water, you 
could have some congealing of these concentrates. When adding different liquid products to a tank that is ¾ full, make sure that you add them one at a 
time while the agitation pump is aggressive mixing the solution.