Sprayer Depot Blog

Step right up, folks. It’s Groundhog Day and quite a show for some. Wikipedia tells us, “according to folklore, if it’s cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early. But if it’s sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will persist for six more weeks.” Whether you believe in this folklore or not, it’s hard to tune out the predictions that are blazoned across news sites. After all, these predictions could mean spray season would come sooner, or may be delayed.

We tuned in while Punxsutawney Phil made his annual ‘prediction’ calling for six more weeks of winter. Brr! Let’s take a look at what these scenarios can mean for our industry.

Keep in mind, if the groundhog’s prediction for six more weeks of winter weather is true, that means spray season could be delayed in most parts of the country as snow and ice will likely hinder any chances of planting for our agriculture friends, and continue to keep pests away for those in the pest control industry, to name a few implications. For most of the U.S., the spray season doesn’t typically start until March/April anyway, but with the thought of six more weeks of winter and the impact #Juno had on the Northeast a few weeks ago you can see how we may be looking at an April season, as opposed to starting earlier in March.

However, if Punxsutawney Phil predicts that spring will come early, many in the spray industry will rejoice. With an early spring season, planting could come sooner as grounds have time to thaw and weeds could breath new life meaning our friends in the horticulture field will be spraying before we know it, to name just a few spray season effects. 

February is a great time to prepare for the coming season. Keep an eye out here on our blog for our forthcoming post that will share “Tips for Preparing for Spray Season.” We all have to do it, so a handy checklist can make the process go that much smoother. More on that later… 

Of course, no matter what the groundhog predicts, it’s Mother Nature who will truly predict when spray season will creep up. One thing is for certain - we’ll keep an eye on how this pans out and continue to provide you with resources to stay on top of your game throughout the season. And for those in snow-covered areas, we have some great de-icing sprayers like this Kings Sprayers model.