How to Make a Weed
Dabber
by Michael J. McGroarty
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The tool that I am going to tell you about is for using
herbicides such as RoundUp. The biggest mistakes that people
make when using non-selective herbicides like RoundUp is over
spray getting the herbicide on plants that they did not intend
to spray, and over applying the product. If you spray to the
point of run off, you are applying way too much.
The weed dabber is a tool used for spot treating weeds
without getting the herbicide on other plants.
Start by going to your hardware store and buying a piece of
1- ½” PVC pipe. You only need a piece 30” long, but they
might make you buy a 10' section. It's pretty cheap though.
You'll need a plastic PVC cap for one end of the pipe, and on
the other end you'll need an adapter to convert the PVC pipe to
a standard pipe thread. You'll have to let the clerk at the
hardware store help you find the best combination of fittings to
use. What you need to do is to get the PVC pipe reduced down to
a male garden hose type fitting. Hardware stores sell brass
fittings that convert standard pipe thread to the same thread
used on garden hoses.
Probably what you'll end up with is an adapter that will
convert the 1-½” PVC to 3/4” male pipe. Then an adapter to
convert the 3/4” male pipe to a male garden house fitting.
They also make a cap that you can install on the end of a garden
hose, you'll need one of those. This cap must have a rubber
garden hose washer in it so it seals properly.
The PVC fittings have to be glued on so you'll have to pick
up some PVC pipe glue and cleaner. You have to use the cleaner
to remove the film and gloss from the PVC pipe and fittings
before you glue them. Once you have them cleaned, just apply a
coating of glue to both the pipe and the fitting, slide the
fitting on and twist it at the same time. Hold the fitting tight
for 60 seconds and it will be glued tightly.
Cut a piece of pipe 30” long and glue the pipe cap on
one end, and the PVC to the pipe thread adapter on the other end.
Apply a small amount of pipe dope or Teflon tape to the threads
of the adapter, and screw the male garden house fitting onto the
adapter. Screw the garden hose cap to the male garden hose
fitting.
Now back to the end of the pipe that you glued the pipe cap
to. Drill a very small hole right in the middle of the pipe cap.
You might have to experiment a little with the size of the hole
you need, but make sure you start with a very small hole. I'd
start with 1/16”. Cut a piece of regular household sponge in a
square about 1-½” square. What you are going to do is place
this sponge over the small hole you drilled in the pipe cap, and
secure it there by covering it with a piece of light weight
screen or mesh cloth. Maybe even a piece of an onion bag. You
can secure the mesh to the PVC pipe with a hose clamp or
electrical tape.
Remove the garden hose cap from the other end of the PVC
pipe, and fill the pipe with pre-mixed (ready to use) RoundUp.
Replace the garden hose cap and you have yourself a weed dabber.
The RoundUp will seep out the hole in the end of pipe cap and be
absorbed by the sponge. As long as the garden hose cap is tight
the vacuum in the pipe will keep the herbicide from running out
too fast. Once the sponge is damp, you can start dabbing weeds.
Remember, you only want the weeds damp and not dripping wet.
As long as you are leaving some RoundUp on the weeds as you dab
them, the herbicide should kill them.
Depending on the temperatures, it could take a week or so
before you can see the effects of the herbicide. If the sponge
gets too dry you can loosen the cap a little to release the
vacuum and more herbicide will be released onto the sponge. Or
you can simply turn the tool upside down and that should let
some air into the chamber, thus releasing the vacuum. As always,
read the label and follow the directions on the herbicide
package.
Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article.
Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com
and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.
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