The jobsite dictionary · Lawn & Tree Care
🧪 Chemicals & Licensing
25 chemicals & licensing terms with how to say them in Spanish, an example from the job, and audio. From ChambaTalk's free lawn & tree glossary.
- application log ap-lih-KAY-shun LAWGbitácora de aplicación bee-TAH-koh-rah deh ah-plee-kah-SYOHN Safety-critical
The legal record of every application: product, EPA number, rate, area, weather, applicator. The state audits it.
No application leaves the truck unlogged — fill the application log before you drive off. — Ninguna aplicación se queda sin registrar — llena la bitácora antes de arrancar.
- application rate ap-lih-KAY-shun raytdosis de aplicación DOH-sees deh ah-plee-kah-SYOHN Safety-critical
How much product goes on per area, straight off the label; the label is the law.
Check the application rate before you fill the hopper. — Revisa la dosis de aplicación antes de llenar la tolva.
- applicator license AP-lih-kay-tor LAY-senslicencia de aplicador lee-SEN-syah deh ah-plee-kah-DOHR Safety-critical
The state license required to apply restricted pesticides commercially; unlicensed crew work only under a licensed applicator.
Only Luis has the applicator license — he mixes, you spread. — Solo Luis tiene la licencia de aplicador — él mezcla, tú riegas.
- calibration kal-ih-BRAY-shuncalibración kah-lee-brah-SYOHN
Checking that the spreader or sprayer actually puts out the labeled rate; done per machine, per product, per season.
New product means new calibration — run the bucket test first. — Producto nuevo es calibración nueva — haz primero la prueba de la cubeta.
- drift DRIFTderiva deh-REE-bah Safety-critical
Spray carried by wind onto plants or property it wasn't meant for; the main way an application becomes a claim.
Watch the drift near the neighbor's garden — big droplets, low pressure. — Cuida la deriva junto al jardín del vecino — gotas grandes y baja presión.
- fertilizer FUR-tih-lay-zerfertilizante fehr-tee-lee-SAHN-teh
Granular or liquid feed for turf and plants; the three numbers on the bag are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.
Spread fertilizer at the bag rate, no double passes. — Riega el fertilizante a la dosis del costal, sin pasadas dobles.
Also: abono (general)
- fungicide FUN-jih-saydfungicida foon-hee-SEE-dah Safety-critical
Chemical for lawn fungus — brown patch, dollar spot; preventive apps beat curative ones.
Humidity is coming — fungicide on the fescue accounts this week. — Viene la humedad — fungicida en las cuentas de festuca esta semana.
- granular GRAN-yoo-largranulado grah-noo-LAH-doh
Dry pellet products put down with a spreader, as against liquids sprayed.
Windy day — switch to granular for the fertilizer round. — Día con viento — cambia a granulado para la ronda de fertilizante.
- grub treatment GRUB TREET-menttratamiento para gallina ciega trah-tah-MYEN-toh PAH-rah gah-YEE-nah SYEH-gah
Insecticide applied for the white larvae that eat turf roots and leave dead patches that lift like carpet.
That dead patch pulls up easy — it needs a grub treatment. — Ese manchón muerto se levanta fácil — necesita tratamiento para gallina ciega.
Also: tratamiento para larvas (general)
- herbicide HERB-ih-saydherbicida ehr-bee-SEE-dah Safety-critical
Chemical that kills weeds; selective kills weeds in grass, non-selective kills everything it touches.
That's non-selective herbicide — keep it off the lawn. — Ese herbicida es no selectivo — que no caiga en el pasto.
Also: mata hierba (general)
- insecticide in-SEK-tih-saydinsecticida een-sek-tee-SEE-dah Safety-critical
Chemical for insect pests — grubs, chinch bugs, fire ants; label rates and re-entry apply like any pesticide.
The fire ant mounds get insecticide today — flag every one. — Los hormigueros llevan insecticida hoy — ponle banderita a cada uno.
- iron application AY-urn ap-lih-KAY-shunaplicación de hierro ah-plee-kah-SYOHN deh FYEH-rroh
Iron greens the lawn fast without a growth surge; stains concrete orange — keep it off pavement.
Iron application before the open house — and tarp the walkway edges. — Aplicación de hierro antes del evento — y tapa las orillas del andador.
- lawn flags LAWN flagzbanderitas de aviso bahn-deh-REE-tahs deh ah-BEE-soh
The small yellow flags posted after an application to warn the customer the lawn was treated.
Every treated yard gets lawn flags at the walk and the driveway. — Cada jardín tratado lleva banderitas de aviso en la banqueta y la entrada.
- organic program or-GAN-ik PROH-gramprograma orgánico proh-GRAH-mah ohr-GAH-nee-koh
The pesticide-free service some customers buy — compost, corn gluten, spot hand-weeding; different truck, different products, no cross-contamination.
The Hills are on the organic program — nothing synthetic touches that lawn. — Los Hill están en el programa orgánico — nada sintético toca ese césped.
- post-emergent pohst-ih-MER-jentposemergente pohs-eh-mehr-HEN-teh Safety-critical
Herbicide for weeds already up; selective by grass type — the wrong product kills the lawn with the weeds.
That post-emergent is for bermuda only — it will burn the St. Augustine next door. — Ese posemergente es solo para bermuda — quema el san agustín del vecino.
- pre-emergent pree-ih-MER-jentpreemergente preh-eh-mehr-HEN-teh
Herbicide put down before weed seeds sprout; timing is everything.
Pre-emergent goes down on every account before soil temps hit 55. — El preemergente se aplica en todas las cuentas antes de que el suelo llegue a 55 grados.
- re-entry interval ree-EN-tree IN-ter-vulintervalo de reingreso een-tehr-BAH-loh deh rreh-een-GREH-soh Safety-critical
How long people and pets must stay off a treated area, printed on the label.
Post the flags — the re-entry interval on this one is until it dries. — Pon las banderitas — el intervalo de reingreso de este es hasta que seque.
- restricted use ree-STRIK-ted YOOSuso restringido OO-soh rres-treen-HEE-doh Safety-critical
Products only a licensed applicator may buy or apply; locked storage, logged use, no exceptions.
That jug is restricted use — it doesn't leave the cage without Luis. — Ese galón es de uso restringido — no sale de la jaula sin Luis.
- spot treat SPOT treetaplicar por puntos ah-plee-KAHR pohr POON-tohs
Spray individual weeds instead of the whole lawn — less product, less risk, what the license teaches.
Spot treat the dandelions, don't blanket the whole front. — Aplica por puntos a los dientes de león, no bañes todo el frente.
- spray SPRAYfumigar foo-mee-GAHR Safety-critical
Apply liquid product with a tank and wand or a backpack sprayer.
Don't spray if the wind picks up past 10 miles an hour. — No fumigues si el viento pasa de 10 millas por hora.
Also: rociar (general) · aplicar (MX)
- surfactant sur-FAK-tuntsurfactante soor-fahk-TAHN-teh
The additive that helps spray stick to waxy leaves instead of beading off.
Add surfactant for the clover, plain spray rolls right off it. — Ponle surfactante para el trébol, el producto solo se le resbala.
- sweep the hard surfaces SWEEP thuh HARD SUR-fis-ezbarrer el pavimento bah-RREHR el pah-bee-MEN-toh
Blow or sweep granular product off pavement back onto the lawn after spreading — fertilizer on concrete stains and washes into storm drains.
Sweep the hard surfaces — granules in the gutter end up in the creek. — Barre el pavimento — las bolitas en la cuneta terminan en el arroyo.
- tank mix TANK miksmezcla del tanque MES-klah del TAHN-keh Safety-critical
The combination of products mixed in one tank for one pass; only label-approved combinations, mixed in label order.
Today's tank mix is pre-emergent plus iron — write it in the log. — La mezcla del tanque de hoy es preemergente más hierro — anótala en la bitácora.
- triple rinse TRIP-ul RINStriple enjuague TREE-pleh en-HWAH-gheh Safety-critical
Rinsing an empty pesticide jug three times into the tank before disposal — the legal minimum.
Triple rinse the empties into the mix tank, then puncture them. — Triple enjuague a los envases vacíos hacia el tanque, y luego perfóralos.
- wind speed WIND speedvelocidad del viento beh-loh-see-DAHD del BYEN-toh Safety-critical
Checked before every spray; most labels stop applications around 10 mph, and drift claims start well below that.
Check the wind speed on your phone before the tank goes on your back. — Revisa la velocidad del viento en tu teléfono antes de ponerte el tanque.
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