Fertilizer tree spikes

[Buckeye]

Does anyone use these on their trees,if so do they work?

 

[Weasel]

No, use a plastic cup of 10-10-10, about a handful, spread evenly around the drip line Spikes can cause roots to grow towards them instead of naturally spread out.

 

[Cap'n]

The spikes are fine really, I've used them and the large pellets, 10-10-10, & 14-14-14 120 day slow release like osmocoat. But the last 2-3 years I've been using 20-10-5 Best Paks. Little tea bags with slow release fertilizer in each bio degradable bag. It has a 12 month release curve. Release is dependent on soil temp so it doesn't leach out of the root zone in the winter months.I like them a lot better because you can either poke some holes in the soil and drop the pre measured Pak into it or tear it open and mix it into the media of your seedling plantings.
I didn't mean for that to sound like a sales pitch so much but it just so happens that I do sell these Paks for the company that makes them.
I certianly don't want to be THAT GUY that is on here peddling his stuff because I'm not. I just don't want to sit here with one of the best products I've seen in years and not share it with people that have the same goals as I do in improving habitat.
http://partners.simplot.com/product/BESTPAKS-20105

 

[cagantpr]

I use a digging bar to poke 3 holes, 120 degrees apart, around the drip line. I wiggle the digging bar to open a hole big enough to fit about a cup of 10-10-10, then kick dirt to close up my poor man's spike. I learned this money saver from someone on the old QDM forum. Spring to spring, I "clock' the holes to hopefully avoid the issue that Weasel mentioned. Does clocking them avoid the problem? I have no idea. Does the fertilizing work in general? I have no idea.

 

[Chainsaw]

Back when there were only a few hundred released apple trees on the property we used to use a portable drill with a large bit to make the holes to pour in the thriple10 fertilizer.It was very economical and should have achieved the same result as spikes for a fraction of the cost. As cagantpr said, we had no idea if it actually accomplished anything and still don't.

 

[E_308]

Each of my 4-6 inch diameter pears get a solo cup (some 2) of 12-12-12 each spring. I have used the spikes before but didn’t see much difference from the cup spread on the ground.

 

[JFK52]

I bought a landscaper box of 160 count 8-11-11 Jobes fertilizer spikes for my apple trees. I take a spud bar and walk around the drip line of each tree. All my apple trees are mature 40+ year old trees. Some of the smaller trees get 4 spikes. Larger trees get 8 spikes. They release the fertilizer over a 60 day period. I have been doing this for the past three year after I did a much needed pruning of all the trees. I believe I am helping the trees, but I have no way to scientifically verify this statement.