Garden Sprayers for a Hosta Garden: How to Choose One (and Why You Need Two)

In a hosta garden a sprayer does three jobs: putting deer repellent on the leaves every few weeks, feeding with a water-soluble fertilizer, and the occasional spray of a fungicide or insecticide when the label lists hostas. Many gardeners also spray weed killer on paths and lawn edges. That last job is the reason this guide recommends two sprayers rather than one. Below are the sprayer types, the points that decide which one fits, six models compared from their makers’ documentation, and how to clean a sprayer between uses.

How to choose

1. Size by the job, not the garden. A 1-liter hand sprayer is for spot work on a few plants. Utah State Extension calls 1–3 gallon compressed-air sprayers the most common choice for home landscapes. A backpack holds more (up to 5 gallons in Utah State’s description) and keeps a more uniform pressure; it suits large or woodland plantings. Battery sprayers spare you the pumping.
2. One sprayer for weed killer, another for everything else. Utah State says not to use the same sprayer for insect and weed control because some herbicides, such as 2,4-D, are difficult to remove completely. The University of Idaho adds that some weed killers leave a residue even after rinsing that can damage plant foliage. On hostas, which are grown for their leaves, that risk is the main reason to buy a second, cheap sprayer and label it “weed killer only”.
3. Match the nozzle to the product. Ohio State Extension: a flat-fan nozzle is the one that puts out herbicide accurately and uniformly; hollow-cone nozzles are best when penetration and coverage matter, as with insecticides and fungicides. Raising the pressure makes droplets smaller, and smaller droplets drift further.
4. Check the seals against what you will spray. Chapin’s tank sprayers use nitrile seals, which it says handle standard lawn and garden chemicals. Solo uses Viton (a fluoroelastomer) in key locations of its professional models and says it resists harsh chemicals. Solo’s catalog also lists other seal materials for strongly acidic or alkaline mixes, which shows that compatibility depends on the chemical. If the product label mentions solvents or oils, check its safety data sheet and ask the sprayer maker before using it; Chapin offers technical support on chemical compatibility.
5. Hose-end sprayers: feeding, not weeding. Utah State says hose-end sprayers are acceptable for insecticides but not recommended for herbicides, because they are hard to calibrate and do not apply evenly. For liquid fertilizer over a large bed they are fast.
6. Weight. A gallon of water weighs a little over 8 lb. Solo gives its 4-gallon backpack as about 43 lb when full. Filling only what you need is easier than carrying a full tank.
7. Powders and thick mixes. Solo’s catalog points users to its diaphragm-pump backpack models for wettable powders. Our deer repellent guide notes a 2003 University of Maryland trial in which one powder repellent was hard to mix and clogged sprayers.

Comparison

Products

Which to buy for what

• Repellents on a small to medium garden: the Solo 456 (2 gallons, four nozzles), or the Chapin 28324 if pumping is hard on your hands. For a few clumps, the Solo 418.
• Repellents over a large or woodland planting: the Solo 425 backpack.
• Liquid fertilizer: a hose-end sprayer such as the Chapin G364D over large beds, or a watering can for a few plants (see the fertilizer guide for how little hostas need).
• Weed killer: a separate 1-gallon pump sprayer such as the Chapin 20004, marked and used for nothing else. A flat-fan nozzle, if one fits your model, gives a more even application.

Spraying and cleaning

• Read the label first. The label of the product you spray sets the rate, the plants it may be used on, the protective equipment and where rinse water may go. A sprayer cannot make an unsuitable product safe.
• Spray in calm weather. The National Pesticide Information Center advises spraying when it is calm, using nozzles and pressures that give bigger droplets, and keeping the nozzle close to the plants. Ohio State advises against spraying in winds above 5 mph.
• Triple-rinse after each use. Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center: fill the tank one-fifth to one-quarter with clean water, shake or swirl it, spray the rinse water out through the nozzle, and repeat twice more. Spray rinse water only where the product label allows the product itself to be applied. Clean the nozzle, screens and filters separately.
• If a sprayer has held weed killer and must be reused for something else, Utah State describes washing with detergent, then filling with 1 pint of household ammonia in 10 pints of water and letting it stand 12–24 hours before rinsing several times. A dedicated herbicide sprayer avoids this.
• Dispose of rinse water away from desirable plants and water, following local rules (Penn State Extension).
• Store it clean and empty, out of reach of children and pets (Clemson).

When you do not need to buy anything

• A ready-to-use repellent comes with its own sprayer. Several repellents in our deer repellent guide are sold in ready-to-spray jugs with a wand. For a small garden, that may be all you need.
• Fertilizer can go on with a watering can. Hostas need only light feeding, so a few clumps do not justify a hose-end sprayer.
• Slugs are not a spraying problem. Baits and barriers are covered in our slug and snail guide.
• A sprayer you already own works if it has not held weed killer. If it has, keep it for weed killer and buy a second one for the hostas.

Sources

• Utah State University Extension, Landscape and Garden Weed Control (HG 508): sprayer types, hose-end sprayers and herbicides, cleaning a sprayer after herbicide.
• University of Idaho Extension, Pesticides for the Home Garden and How to Use Them (CIS 1019): separate sprayer for weed killers.
• Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center, Sprayer Clean-Out (2024).
• Penn State Extension, Play it safe: clean your sprayer equipment before and after each use.
• Ohio State University Extension, Choosing Spray Nozzles for Trainers and Supervisors (AEX-892209).
• National Pesticide Information Center, Pesticide Drift.
• Solo and Chapin product pages and the Solo catalog, as linked in each card. Checked 2026-10-06.