There’s a finite amount of herbicide you can use in a year. Be sure to fully read label directions & probably consult some experts if you’re using multiple types. Spraying 3-4 times in one year is probably not appropriate.
For example, here are the instructions & restrictions on the 2,4-D I usually use.
Hi Walk!
Wonder it there are any other HF folks over here?
Steve and George
As I said; there’s a bunch of stuff you have to know. In addition to the local rules for the chemicals you are spraying, and the wind speed/direction, there is spray nozzle configuration, height, pressure, speed. And then you have to consider potential toxicity to your animals. Gotta stream on your property? You have to account for runoff as well. Screw it up, the specter of Liability looms . . .
For the darn Knapweed (AKA “Tumbleweed”), I decided it was easier to simply keep it mowed down. “Keep The County Happy”. Not that they ever did their part of of the mitigation plan; easier to send nasty letters to property owners than to get someone out to drive a tractor I guess.
I sold the sprayer to a neighbor who wanted to try his hand at it. AFAIK, it’s still sitting right where I put it in his barn, but at least I don’t have to worry about it any more.
(edit to add) “We Be Geek”. I have some skills in The Sciences, however Chemistry ain’t one of 'em. “Air, Fire, Earth, and Water.”
This is a great idea about the certification. I was going to go to our local co-op and get their recommendations .
When we have animals, it will make a big difference in what we use. Right now we are reclaiming the land from years of overgrowth. A sprayer set up also gives me the flexibility to use fertilizer.
Like Walinthewalk said, we hardly have 5 square feet that are level and many parts someone wouldn’t come in and spray. But I know how to mow these areas. The sprayer comes with a hand wand that can spray up to 48’ so will be good for those hard to spray areas .
Hi George T!!! Well, now you know my secret to where I get a lot of my technical answers 
FWIW, I had a long conversation with our County Ag person who is now 72 and has been our county Ag person “”since Moby Dick Was A Minnow”
I originally was asking him about the “Freelexx Herbicide” that was brought up on this forum. It’s a 2-4-D product but the difference between it and the original is the chemistry changed to allow for more stability. It does not have much in the way of overspray, therefore making it safer if you have a close neighbor’s garden or Dogwood trees within target range.
The reason he nixed it for my pastures was because he can’t find any safety studies with equines, in terms of how long to keep them off pasture after spraying. The original 2-4-D allows the horses to go back on pasture in less than a day but I wait 24 hours.
Frequent bush hogging is the key to keeping the weeds down, not frequent application of weed killer. One reason being, any weed killer that is pasture safe will not kill everything we hate, especially the grass weeds. Pasture weed killer is great for broadleaf, it cannot differentiate between good grass and weed grasses like that worthless Dallis Grass. The recommended times are mid Fall when temps stay around 60 degrees (F) and again in early spring.
Then keep bush hogging. We cut our pastures 3-5 times every growing season. This year #3 cut was done July 4th weekend, that means one more cut before winter, this year.
I apologize, to get OT but it sort of fits🥴
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