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| Bought some tree-fertilizer spikes recently and found out, that they are supposed to be used in "early spring" or "late autumn".
Is using it now still better than nothing at all, is it a waste of fertilizer, or is it, perhaps, even worse than not fertilizing at all? One box of the stuff is meant for fruit trees (I have cherry, sour cherry, apricot, and pear) and the other box -- for evergreens (cypress trees)... Any suggestions? Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| If you'll search the forum for information on fertilization, you'll find that most trees and shrubs in most situations do not need fertilizer. Unless the soil is deficient of some nutrient, your plants are better off without it. Improper fertilization can be harmful to your trees. You should never fertilize without a reason for doing so and without some idea of what nutrients need to be added. Fertilizer spikes are often thought of as the snake oil of the horticulture business. For the most part, they are a waste of money. |
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| More like "better never than ever" |
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- Posted by cearbhaill Zone 6b Eastern KY (My Page) on Wed, May 9, 12 at 7:50
| Please understand that even IF your trees needed fertilization, spikes are the absolute worst method of delivering it. I would first throw them away and second get a soil sample to your cooperative extension office for your free annual soil test. Find them in your white pages listed by county. Absent that information you are literally flying blind, so doing nothing would be FAR better than doing a wrong thing. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, May 9, 12 at 8:12
| i like to sum it up this way ... two ways ... first.. for what they are worth.. send me the money.. and i will pray for them... and it will do as much good as a spike .. in the alternative.. they are trees/shrubs.. they are not children.. they do NOT need to be fed.. changed.. educated.. etc ... water them properly.. and otherwise.. ignore them ... and 99% of the time mother nature will take care of that for you.. but for drought and transplant .... ken |
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| Grind them up and put the fert on the lawn....if it needs it. Spikes for trees are almost worthless. A good mulch will serve you better. Mike |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Wed, May 9, 12 at 17:53
| How do I relate in text the look of a man with his hand covering his face, his head slowly shaking to and fro, giving the universal sign for "for fux sakes"? Spikes...loling. +oM |
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| Bet 'cha got the message. The right one! hortster |
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| Wisconsitom, I've heard that referred to as "facepalm" before ;)
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 17:40
| Thanks Fam! Now to the OP, sorry if I came across a little harshly. For me and some others that have been here for a while, fertilizer spikes are something we thought we'd dispatched to the junkheap of history long ago. Even if fertilizer is warranted, that's just an extremely poor delivery method. They sure do keep selling them though! +oM |
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