Tree Fertilizer Spikes vs. Broadcast: Broadcast Wins

Owner asks if fertilizer spikes (Jobes) just go past roots. Link to Amazon product.

Spikes: Limited Value

Work but nutrients not evenly distributed. Expensive for large trees (many needed). Better for small plants.

10-10-10 at 1 lb per inch trunk diameter, scattered under canopy, watered in. Feeder roots in top 12" of soil—surface application reaches them.

Compacted soil: 4-6" deep holes, 2-3 ft apart, 2 ft from trunk to drip line. Divide fertilizer among holes. But broadcasting easier and as effective.

Trees: Pine Tree Holes in Rows: Sapsucker Woodpecker Damage; Cedar Spruce Sap Sucker Damage: Bird-Caused Holes Misidentified as Borers; Blue Spruce No New Growth by May 15: Root Focus, Fertilize Lightly; Cleveland Pear Thinning Canopy: Fertilize, Avoid Weed-and-Feed; Sapsucker Damage on Ornamental Pear: Identification and Response; Mountain Ash Not Fruiting: Patience After Transplant; Woodpecker and Sapsucker Damage on Magnolia Trees; Evaluating Decay and Holes in an Old Oak Tree; Fertilizing a Neglected Avocado Tree for Fruit Production; Jade Plant Fertilizer: Miracle-Gro Monthly, Pause in Deep Winter

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