Which is it???

Ok which do you use or use them all,which works better?

Jobes plant spikes

Granular slow release fertilizer

Water soluble fertilizer

Home made compost

Cow manure

Other

All except the plant spikes. I had a bad experience with plant spikes. I've used them off and on for quite a few years but last year I had two shrubs keel over dead as a door nail within a couple of weeks of using the spikes. I did some looking around on the net and found info stating that they can burn the roots on plants so I no longer include them in my arsenal.

Compost and poop are mainstays for everything spring and fall. Water soluable fertalizers for monthly feeding during blooming season. Specilized granular fertalizers for roses and bulbous things.

ditto dahlianut's post. I do use spikes, but only the ones for trees.

I've been using them all,so I don't really know which one is working the best,so thats why I ask!
I was hoping for a much bigger and wider response!!!LOL

It's still a little soon. Make a reply here on the thread tomorrow morning or ealy afternoon to bump it to the top of the threads where people will see it. It helps.

Me personally, I don't like dealing with bunches of stuff sitting around the garage or shed, I prefer to use stuff that seems to work for most philosophies. In the fall I will usually add a few bags of mint compost to my mulch (making rich compost is a good idea, I just haven't dealved into it yet) and spread it around most everywhere. In the spring I put slow release granules on my conifers and some other evergreens. I use fast release granules on most everything else. Sometimes, if I can find a good deal, I'll put some specialty type things around plants that the critters seem to dislike. For instance, I love to be able to get a few bags of cocoa shells (NOT the bark o mulch with cocoa shells ground in) and put them all around the perennial beds that the slugs/snails like to get into. It really does help, and it helps keep cats from digging in the beds, and it's a mild fertilizer. I tried the spikes years ago, but when I did soil tests around there a month or two later, I found that they didn't distribute well at all, and I tried several kinds. It always end up being quite rich right next to the stake, a few inches away was still poor soil.

I read that the stakes and slow release fertilizer,doesn't release it nutrients until the soil temperature is around the 70* range,I'm talking mainly tropical plants in a container,those temps are just a little hard to reach sometimes,for instance you'd just about to have to keep your home or greenhouse in the 80* or above range for this to happen,I really don't want to mess with water soluble during the winter,but some plants I try to keep growing and flowering,like palms and hibiscus,and a few passion vines,compost doesn't make to well during the winter,so it's either stakes,the ones you get 25 to a package the small little ones ,slow release.

Maybe for some types of slow release, there's a temp. requirement. But, I've never used one like that. I also wouldn't have bought one that had a recommended temp like that, so I really don't know if it's a common thing. However, I can see where the 70deg. might be recommended for granules, or most fertilizers actually, that would be because around 70 deg. (in average air moisture and cultural situations) that when things need to start getting watered regularly, which would be a good time to have fertilizer be distbursed best. I would think that slow release, during the winter, would be better than fast release in any type of fertilizer. the other thing that you might try, would be something that is primarily a root stimulator type of fertilizer. I know that's what some folks use who have cold frames for plants. They don't really want the plant to wake up during a warm spell in the winter, but do want it to have a head start on spring nutrients. Usually those come in a liquid that needs to be diluted, but there are other forms.

Talking with the help around the local nurseries,here they don't bother with slow release,there intentions is not have the plant that long,but use the liquid fertilizer for fast growth,but they use it time to time on there trees.
I think the growers down south use it,for there temps they can still growth,albiet slow year round.

I wonder if you might get more eyes and thoughts on this issue if it were posted in one of the more specific forums such as trees and shrubs. Like you, I'm curious to know what other folks use and why they use it. If you do decide to do that, would you post the link here for us to follow?

I had to look it up to see what made a fertilizer a "winter fertilizer," I couldn;t remember if it was no nitrogen or no phosphorus. Anyhow, It's generally considered to be a fertilizer that has no nitrogen. Something like a 0-10-10 type mixture. mostly because it is the nitrogen that forces new growth, which is generally not what you want in the winter. However, if your plants are in the greenhouse, that's a different story.

Yes plants are in greenhouses,but only thru the winter time.
And I'm talking tropical plants,and just about any tropical you can imagine,I'm growing,most plants are 4ft tall or taller.
Your right no nitrogen in the winter time is best for most new growth is tender,I prefer just to keep the plants green,and growing at the slowest rate possible.
Greenhouse forum would also be a good place for posting,but I thought more people would give me a more about round answer than any other forum.

Bump.