Jobe’s Spikes - Easy Treats for Trees & Shrubs
I have terrible, terrible west Michigan sandy soil. Let me rephrase that. I have beach sand with a tiny bit of clay and humic material in it. Growing things is a real challenge. Yet I keep hoping for some flowering shrubs to border my yard, when I can keep the rabbits and deer from eating them.
These spikes have made a definite difference in a sand cherry, forsythia, flowering quince, and a white birch tree. I’m not saying that they don’t work on other things, but those are the places I have used it.
The spikes are 16-8-8, blended specially for deciduous woody plants, and are supposed to be particularly good for flowering shrubs. I think this is true, because mine rarely bloomed until I started using these. They are a compressed “tablet” with a pointed end. Sort of like a huge pill.
Once a year, either spring or late fall, you water the ground around the plant very thoroughly so it is soft. Then you put the provided plastic cap over the end of a spike and hammer it into the ground (no closer than 30 inches or you will burn the roots). When it is pounded in to ground level, remove the cap and pound it down another 2 inches. Now the fertilizer is in the root zone (not on the surface of the ground), and will release slowly over the following months.
Once you open the box you do need to use the spikes soon or they begin to lose their potency. So only buy what you are going to use at any one time.
Drawbacks are few- I have had a spike break in the box, but this isn’t a real problem. Sometimes I can just re-stack the broken pieces and pound them in as one, or pound them in separately.
This package happens to be Jumbo size. If you have very small shrubs that are just starting, look for the regular size.
|
Bookmark this Review:
|
Email or IM this Review:
|
My Photos:
Tags I added:
Link to this review from your blog or website
Select all of the text in the box with your mouse, then right click and select copy
Overall Rating:
Tree & Shrub Spikes- Jumbo
By: Jobe's
Purchased at:
Meijer
Price:
$3.99 for 5 spikes
Category:
Garden & Tools / Fertilizers
My Experience Level:
Feature Ratings:
Nutrient Composition
Effectiveness
Spreader Compatibility
Author Profile:
|
Sharkbytes
Rank: 9th (
1)
ShareScore: 99%
City: in Michigan
Age: 60
Marital Status: 40 years - the party was great, the video was funny!
Children: 3
Industry: web site management, writer
Position: just me- I do it all
Income: $0.00 - $20,000.00
More reviews by this Author
Rank: 9th (
1)
ShareScore: 99%
City: in Michigan
Age: 60
Marital Status: 40 years - the party was great, the video was funny!
Children: 3
Industry: web site management, writer
Position: just me- I do it all
Income: $0.00 - $20,000.00
More reviews by this Author
- Here are three other reviews you may like.
5)
We have these spikes too!!
I've used these in plants but never these for trees.
Sounds like a nice product .My mom really loves gardening and is busy with her kitchen garden n other green stuff 24 hours a day. looks like her problems are gonna be over.
These sound like a easy, effective way to fertilize your trees and shrubs.
We have used these for our fruit trees and they work very well.
Though I don't like using chemical fertilizers at all, I have used these on non fruiting trees and shrubs. They do work, and are very economical. I just will not recommend these for anything edible.
I had no idea that there were Jobe's spikes for anything large like trees or shrubs. I know there are a couple of flowering shrubs at my mom's that could use these spikes.
I've tried these spikes, including the small ones for indoor plants...they are excellent and I also highly recommend them...they do what they say that will :) Thanks for the great review.
I've used the small ones for indoor plants, will have to give these a try
My mom gets these too
I have used these, and so easy to put in ground to help the shurbs grow.
sounds like a good product. maybe i'll try it. great review. i voted. please return the favor.
This is wonderful. Thank you!