Jobe's Houseplant Fertilizer Spikes

There are many different types of fertilizers out there, and just as many opinions on which type is best. I know this because I'm not really an experienced gardener, and I've done a lot of research into plant care and the usage of fertilizers. The most commonly sold fertilizers seem to be the liquid kind, or the granular kind that you sprinkle over the soil. Because I'm fairly lazy - I mean, BUSY - I was looking for something that would be easy and simple to use. I didn't feel like messing with mixing up liquid fertilizers all the time and carefully keeping track of fertilizing schedules and such nonsense. That's when I chanced upon the idea of fertilizer spikes - a product you could simply insert into the plant's pot quickly and easily, it'd last up to 2 months, and it supposedly makes it hard to over-fertilize your plants. It sounded too good to be true, so I was a bit skeptical. Jobe's Fertilizer Spikes were pretty cheap, so I decided to just give it a shot! Chances are, if you're looking into this product, you're also looking for an easy, hassle-free fertilizing method for an indoor setting. Read on, then, read on...I live in a small apartment with no outdoor area, so I grow plants on my dining room table under a grow light. I like herbs, so I grow mint (chocolate mint and sweet mint), thyme (German Thyme and Lemon Thyme), chives, sage and rosemary. The first thing to note about these spikes is the NPK ratio, which is a nitrogen-phosphate-potassium analysis of 13-4-5. Nitrogen is good for encouraging leaf growth, so this houseplant fertilizer is perfect for herbs (most of which are grown for their leaves). That being said, if you have a flowering plant, you'll want something much higher in phosphates to better encourage blooming.I've read on the internet that most fertilizer suggestions from manufacturers are overblown, and that one should really only use half the suggested amount. However, I was feeling bold when I bought these, so I went with the full suggested amounts from the back of the package. I did not notice any leaf burn, yellowing, or other issues associated with over-fertilization, and moreover, my plants seemed to respond very well by putting out lush new growth. The mint certainly grew very rapidly! In fact, the mint did so well that it quickly became root bound and started getting browning and dying leaves as a result of its inability to take up new nutrients. Instead of performing a root pruning, I've decided to start fresh with some mint cuttings in new pots. However, rather than throw out the original plants immediately, I'm trying to keep them alive long enough to have a backup source for new cuttings in case my current batch don't make it and I need to take more. I've read online that fertilizing an extremely root bound plant won't really do it any good, but I decided to try anyway and shoved some Jobe's Plant Spikes into the old mint pots, not really expecting much. I was absolutely shocked to see both mints put out fresh new growth at a fast rate whereas previously they looked like they were on their last legs! So, I can safely say that Jobe's plant spikes will help prolong the life of a root bound plant, at least for awhile. I, of course, recommend that you don't keep a plant permanently root bound, but this product will buy you some time! I'm certainly impressed.A lot of gardeners online seem to scoff at the efficacy of fertilizer spikes when compared to liquid fertilizers, but I have noticed a real improvement in my plants after using these spikes, and as mentioned earlier, these helped me save some dying mint. I love how simple and easy to use they are! Of course, you need to bear in mind the fertilizer requirements for individual plant species when using these and adjust accordingly (less for rosemary than for mint, for example). Also keep in mind the NPK ratio since these spikes are really only for encouraging foliage. That being said, I'm quite pleased with them, and I'm certainly going to keep using them in the future!

Never used this product before but thought I would give it a try. I did a little experiment by using it on most of my potted outdoor annual flowers but not all. The plants I used it on are definitely better looking than the ones I didn't use it on. Brighter colors and more flowers on the Jobe treated plants. Very easy to use and good results.

My MIL recommended these for my plants and said it helped her plants get healthier and grow faster. I was willing to try anything, as a couple of my plants seemed stunted (not dying, but not growing bigger either). Started using these about a month ago and I can tell a major difference - Greener/vibrant leaves, plants that hadn't really grown in a while are growing like crazy. Ill be using these for all my plants and in the future. A lot come in the pack, so its worth the cost too.

Seems to be working. My plants are still alive and have even produced a few blooms. Inexpensive help for an inexperienced indoor gardener.

My grandmother taught me to use this brand. She always used them and I do too. They're GREAT at sprucing up your indoor plants.

I wasn’t sure if these would help and or work, but after one month my indoor plants are greener and growing faster than they ever have. I guess you really do need to feed your plants…. Lol

Good product. Indoor plants love it.

Works fine. They are sold at the $1 store though so seems overpriced here.