Garden Fertilizer Spikes, Easy Plant Care Slow Release Fertilizer for Fruit and Citrus Plants and Trees, 15 Count

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I live in south central coastal Florida and about 3 weeks ago used several of these fertilizer spikes on a large lime tree and a mid-size Meyer lemon tree in my yard. The spikes are a convenient way to fertilize and are fairly easy to insert, especially if the package includes the necessary plastic caps, as mine did. Even in sandy soil I found it necessary to use a pointed object (long screwdriver, metal or wooden dowel, etc.) to make and expand an initial hole, which made it easier to pound down the fertilizer spike. In sandy or light soil it is also possible to stick a trowel or small shovel or a pick in the ground to the appropriate depth (about 10-11 inches), wiggle it a bit to make the hole wider, pound in the spike, and then push the loose soil in around and on top of the spike and water it in. Lime tree: This tree, which had maybe a dozen limes on it, was heavily overgrown and on December 3 I had it trimmed back substantially; on December 10 I noticed lots of flower buds in several areas where the tree had been trimmed. I inserted the fertilizer spikes on December 11 and I have noticed lots of new stem and leaf growth in the three weeks since then. However, it is not clear how much of the new growth can be attributed to the spikes and how much to the tree trimming. Since the new buds appeared after trimming and before the spikes were inserted, it seems clear that the new buds were stimulated by the trimming. Meyer lemon tree: This tree, which is currently bearing several dozen lemons, was only slightly overgrown, so on December 3 I snipped off several small branches that were growing beyond the drip line and a few small dead branches here and there--nothing like the heavy trimming of the lime tree described above. Three weeks after inserting the spikes I have not seen any new buds and only a bit of new stem and leaf growth. It may be that since the tree is bearing so many lemons all of its energy is going to grow the lemons, not new buds or stems or leaves. In short, after 3 weeks I can't really tell whether the fertilizer spikes are making any difference; perhaps another 3 or 4 weeks will reveal meaningful changes. However, I know that my trees are in sandy soil and haven't been fertilized for many years, so I am comfortable with having purchased and inserted the spikes, which are convenient to use, have no runoff and no odor, and have a 6-month time release. I will keep track of how my trees are doing and will update this review if I observe any positive or negative developments. For now I will rate these four stars, with potential to go to five stars if results warrant.

OK, these are for lazy gardeners...like me. I used to, and sometimes still do, put the granular down. But these are every 6-12 months and done! Our fruit trees (Orange, Tangerine, Papaya, Loquat, Lemon) can't seem to tell the difference. I use these about once a year, then supplement with granular 6 months later just to be sure they're getting enough. Put these as close to the outer circumference of your trees as possible (the drip line) and they will help. They're sooooo easy to use. Just hammer them in. I don't even dig holes anymore. They go down 3-4 inches into the ground by just hammering them in and done! I review hundreds of products I buy on Amazon and rely on reviews from others a lot too to make my purchase decisions. I paid full price for these and will again unless I find them on sale. I only buy and review items I really need or want. I only rate an item 5 stars if I would pay full price for it or be willing to give it as a gift. I do give 1 star (since you can't give 0) to items which are so bad that I throw away, return for refund or wouldn't want even if free. I try to mention all the pros and cons of products. I have no affiliation with this company or any company for products I review, and my reviews are always totally my own (including any photos/videos). I hope my time spent reviewing this item helped in your decision. If it did, please vote "yes" below! Thanks!