Evergreen fertilizer spikes
I bought some Jobe's spikes the other day and the package says to place them along the dripline , but never closer than 30" from the trunk. None of my shrubs/small trees have a dripline larger than 18", so I'm confused about how to use them. Tks
Hennepin County Minnesota evergreens fertilizing fertilizer spikes horticulture
3 Responses
Your very young evergreens and shrubs are only 1-1/2 feet wide. They are too young to need the spikes. You can put them away for now or maybe find someone who needs them for a mature tree.
We have a weeping white spruce that's nearly 15' tall, but I know the dripline is only about 16". I can move the spikes further out on the berm to comply with their instructions. The Korean fir and the yews are16 years old and I can do the same with them.
I am still a bit confused about the dripline. The dripline is the outermost end of branches. I also have a 15 year old Korean fir and the longest branches are about 4 feet. Be aware that the roots of your shrubs go out far beyond what you see on top of the soil. Take that into consideration too.