I recently bought some of those spikes for the fruit trees (NPK 10-13-13). I had a couple left over and used them by a couple of flowering bushes. I was wondering... since this is so much faster and easier than "digging" around plants and sprinkling/turning-in fertilizer granules....AND the NPK numbers are right up with there with the suggested all-around triple-13 fertilizer... would they work spaced around in flower beds?
I don't know for sure about flower beds, but we have used the spikes around fruit trees, and found that they dissolve very, very slowly. Also, the benefit is in a very small area. I ended up smashing the remaining ones and putting the granules/powder from the drip line to within 1 foot of the trunk. I know that the spikes are "slow release" but these weren't releasing hardly at all after six months! Perhaps if you break them up into smaller chunks and spread them around?
Cheryl, I have never used them, but I was wondering if Janes assessment of them was exactly what they did. So I think I would break them up and spread them around, too. we always use granular around our fruit trees. You are not going to hurt your flowers IF that was your concern.
I've used the spikes before, but didn't really check to see how fast or slow they dissolved. I'll definitely monitor the recent one's. I'm just looking for an easier/faster way to fertilize... and the spike's seemed like a good way. Just drive them into the ground and you're done. No moving/replacing the mulch and/or weed barriers (i.e. newspaper, etc) to scratch in those granules.
