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tree fertilizer


Question
QUESTION: i heard that the fertilizer spikes for trees just goes down past the roots and doesnt do any good.?? here is a link of the product i  am talking about

http://www.amazon.com/Pack-01610-JOBES-TREE-SPIKES/dp/B000690L7C/ref=sr_1_31?ie=

ANSWER: The spikes are ok and they will work but I would use 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter  scattered around the tree and watered in good. The sikes work better for smaller plants and flowers rather than from trees. It will take quite a few for larger trees.  

Dry fertilizer is inexpensive. If you are spreading it on the surface, dry fertilizers are easy to apply. If you are drilling it in, it will take more of your time and labor. Spikes are quick and easy to use, but they are a little more expensive and their nutrients aren't as evenly spread around the tree. Root feeders are easy, but it takes time to move them from site to site for good coverage and their nutrition doesn't last as long.


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QUESTION: how do i drill it in?

thankz!!

Answer
Drilling is making holes spaced around the tree and putting the fertilizer in the holes. The practice of placing fertilizer in holes around mature trees has been tested and research indicates that surface application of fertilizer is sufficient since most of the feeder roots are in the top foot of soil. If the soil is compacted you can bore holes 4 to 6 inches deep, 2 to 3 feet apart using a punchbar or a drill with a 2-inch auger. Start 2 feet from the trunk and continue to 2 feet beyond the branches. Divide the fertilizer into as many equal parts as there are holes and place in the holes. Boring holes in soil can increase soil aeration and water penetration into the root zone.

Scattering the fertilizer under the area where the limbs extent is the best method of applying the fertilizer. And a lot easier than the drilling.

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