Hidden Dangers of Using Fertilizer Spikes For Your Trees and Plants

Hidden Dangers of Using Fertilizer Spikes For Your Trees and Plants

When it comes to maintaining trees and plants, Houston area property owners know that plant maintenance and tree work can be a challenge with our heat, humidity and mosquitos. Many property owners will look for shortcuts or products that simplify their tree care needs, and some opt to use fertilizer spikes for their trees and plants. While these fertilizer spikes claim to provide nutrients to your trees and plants while also saving you time, their use can be detrimental to your plant and tree health. Before using plant or tree fertilizer spikes on your property, consider these important factors.

First, tree fertilizer spikes can seriously damage the root system of your trees by dispersing fertilizer nutrients unevenly at your tree base. The fertilizer spikes have small concentrated amounts of nutrients that only reach a small section of your tree’s root system so your tree roots may develop more in some sections than in others. This uneven nutrient distribution compromises your tree stability and tree health, which is especially dangerous for Houston area property owners as hurricane season begins.

In addition, tree fertilizer spikes can significantly alter the composition and health of the soil surrounding your trees and plants. Although you can purchase tree fertilizer spikes that are formulated to your specific types of trees, your soil may contain nutrients that are negatively impacted by the added nutrients within the fertilizer spikes. This may jeopardize the future health of your trees, plants and surrounding landscape gardens. Also, the high concentration of chemicals within the fertilizer spike can burn your plants and trees, leading to tree damage or tree death.

Most importantly, tree fertilizer spikes inserted around a tree base leave your tree much more vulnerable to infestation from insects or tree diseases. These fertilizer spikes provide the perfect opportunity for insects to infest and damage the root system, which can lead to severe tree damage or even tree death. Any nutritional value the tree gains from the use of tree fertilizer spikes is greatly outweighed by the damage caused by tree insects or tree disease. The time and energy that property owners might save by using fertilizer spikes is inconsequential when you consider the increased likelihood of costly tree death, tree removal and tree replacement.

In order to best protect your trees and plants this summer, give your trees maximum health and vitality with premium mulch and fertilizer from the Landscape Professionals and Certified Arborists of LMC. LMC is Houston’s leader in tree care and landscape management, and they can help protect your trees, plants and landscape gardens throughout the brutal Houston summer with their quality mulch and fertilizers, expert tree trimming, and exceptional landscape maintenance. For more information on how LMC can help protect and promote the life and strength of your trees and landscape, contact LMC directly or request a consultation from their Landscape and Tree Care experts.

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