I wanted to apply a gentle foliar feed to my outfield the other day, just to perk things up a little and decided to use up the 80L of Mascot Microflow (low analysis) that one of my predecessors had bought in and I've had in storage for three years or so (I favour different products and so hadn't ever used these).
I used the first 40L with a spot of iron in: everything fine. When I returned to fill up again and got to the third tub I noticed that the seal was broken and it didn't quite have 20L in, but it was near enough for my purposes. As I began to pour it into the tank it looked a slightly deeper red than the others and more viscous. I stopped pouring and examined it properly and it turned out to be some sort of unused oil (probably hydraulic)! The remaining tub also contained the same stuff. I'd been a wisker away from spraying half of my outfield with hydraulic oil (or whatever it was). Thankfully I noticed in time and only had a small amount to clean out of the sprayer (it sat in a slick on the top) but this wouldn't have done much good to the turf and If I'd asked one of the other lads to do this they might not have noticed. Not sure if it was incompetence or an attempt at sabbotage, but I wasn't too impressed.
Can anyone beat that? Paraquat in a selective weed killer bottle, plutonium on the tea caddy etc?
Maybe a check of your remaining stock may be an idea? That and a chat with the crew!
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
That was the last of it thank god! I still can't believe it.
13 Mar 2011 by Mike
This type of thing really annoys me - what is so difficult about keeping a product in the right container, or at the very least, labeling it to warn people?
I vaguely recollect something along similar lines with the products used for the maintenance of our swimming pool. Someone had changed the contents of one of the containers for some reason, but had left no indication of doing so. I can't recall what was put in the container, but it was suggested that if it hadn't been picked up on, and was used in the pool, there could have been a serious problem.
You are very fortunate that it was you who was filling the tank, Andy - perhaps someone not so on the ball would have carried on, and that could have left you with a big problem.
Mike
My feelings entirely - I'm pretty sure someone else might not have picked up on it, especially as it wasn't that different in colour.
I think I aged about ten years in the space of five minutes.
Give it back to Dereck Andy, i believe he is back over here somewhere.
I don't believe Derek would have done anything like that as I'm told he was right on the ball with complying with the law and things of that nature.
But come on.....who else has a horror story to share?
Well Andy, my very first contribution to fine turf maintenance was this. Applying weedkiller to the square one autumn. Old boy of a groundsman done the job for years finished. Bag of this weedkiller in the shed, we had weeds, so on it went. By the handfull. What a mess a few weeks later. Did,nt even know at the time there was a total and a selective weedkiller. After all why would you want to select which weeds to kill.
A disaster the following year, but boy did i start learning fast.
About six years ago, teaching my then 9 year old how to drive the massey 35 so that he could do some chain harrowing one evening. Trying to get him to understand to lift the clutch pedal very slowly, he just lifted his foot. Tractor and chain harrow went straight over me, that may explain a lot, took my glasses of as well so i could not even see either. How lucky was i? A little sore but not even a bruise.
I seem to have made most mistakes during my life time so i do speak with some experience. Just hope that i am a little more learne'd now.
About 30 years ago I took some of my first steps in voluntary cricket square maintenance by fertilising the 3rd XI pitch at my club with the contents of an opened bag only to be told afterwards that it was sweepings up of concrete dust and similar. No harm done but it didn't give me a hard true surface either!
Proud to serve grassroots cricket
13 Mar 2011 by mackay Last edited 13 Mar 2011
My secret shame is that well over a decade ago I was told that washing up liquid could be used in small quantities as a simple penetrant. I dutifully put a good squirt in a knapsack and off I went. Imagine my suprise when a few days later the grass died as I'd put too much in and caused ex-osmosis in the leaf. Boy was my face red. (Fortunately it was only a small area and I was able to get the grass cover back before the start of the season)
It won't work with total weed killer, but good tip for those unfortunate incidents that can sometimes happen. Back in the early 90's I had been doing trials with selective herbicide on greens at low rates to control Poa annua. A safe rate was decided and my spray technician was given the rates to apply. The program was planned that two applications would be made over a two week period.
After the second application, it was discovered that he had applied the chemical at double the rate, twice!
All 18 greens went straw coloured and this was 3 months before the European Open.
I decided to apply the wetting agent called 'No Burn' which is derived from the yucca plant and applied this at 4 x the high rate. It flushed the chemical through and they returned to normal colour within two weeks...... Unfortunately, the Poa recovered also.
The key to this story.... apart from using dodgy chemicals in the manner described, is that you can always attempt to flush through a chemical with yucca wetting agent when cornered!
Please don't rebuke me about legislation and chemical usage.... It was over 20 years ago and when you are under pressure to produce poa free putting surfaces you will try anything!
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
14 Mar 2011 by A J Last edited 14 Mar 2011
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Grow in grace...........
Andy, funny enough this came into conversation last week, the place in question has some nice clean fairways and surrounds now btw....
Plastic.... it's The End I tell you... THE END!!!!
Ken, Yucca, good product to use monthly? or just as flush when under pressure?
14 Mar 2011 by olaf
Stewed prunes are good for a flush when under pressure.
It's important to keeps things regular.
Some people are like Slinky's, totally useless but amusing if you push them down the stairs
My mother used to feed um to me regular, that is why, despite popular opinion, i can assure you i am not full off !!!!!!!!!!!!
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