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I have been using the sides of an old hobby knife blade to put it on the bases, but it isn't exactly precise. Is there a better way to do it? What is your technique? Thanks!

Also, specifically, I am applying Astrogranite currently, but I will be using one of the mud styles later.

Testors 8702 is a good cheap brush for this, but any old and worn out, but fairly stiff brush is good. Just like paint, you can thin the textures with a bit of water to make them flow better, too.
https://www.testors.com/product-catalog/testors-brands/testors/paint-brushes/brushes

Full disclosure: I don’t use the texture paints. However...

When I base my minis I smear a flock/glue/water paste on to establish a deep snow look. I use an offset diamond canvas paint scrapper tool thing. Not sure what it’s real name is. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Guy with the wooden handle here:

Found it at my local art/craft store.

I used to just use the side of an old dull hobby knife. Not the best tool. I will sometimes use a crappy old Testors brush like totalfailure suggests above.

I use the texture tool GW sells. It works decently and its not too much.

A size 2 brush works just fine, just rinse it frequently. I generally transfer a glob to a piece of parchment paper and move it to the base with a brush. This is to keep the bottle of texture paint from drying too much.

https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/tools/paint-stirrer/

easy to clean, easy to get the texture out of the bottle.

 TheCustomLime wrote:
I use the texture tool GW sells. It works decently and its not too much.

Same. I have one that was sold separately, and one sold in the sculpting tool kit. The one in the kit is actually different, it's made from a softer plastic that bends a lot more than the other one, which I think is better.
I didn't buy them at the same time, so maybe the difference doesn't exist anymore (and one of the two was replaced by the other at some point).

That being said, I never really got decent results from the texture paints that are supposed to look like gravel/sand. And applying them actually takes more time than straight PVA+sand/gravel.
Snow and crakling stuff are okay though.

I first used the GW texture paint on the bases for Epic infantry; it meant I was only makeing one fiddly, time-consuming pass rather than two. Since then, I've been using it on the bases for my AT models and the models from Conquest (I'm painting them by following the instructions, to see how they turn out in the end; more red and gold than I'd choose myself, but good enough so far). I'm blobbing more on than on the Epic infantry bases, but with the GW tool it goes on well enough. A quick drybrush later and job's a good 'un.

I use the spatula end of one of my picks for Agrellan earth, works much better than a brush and gives you more control than a knife.