I recently bought some tree fertilizer spikes to feed my potted dwarf kumquat and lime trees. After I got them home, I read the following warning on the side of the box:
NOTE: Never apply within 30" of the trunk.
Obviously, my pot's radius is less than 30 inches so I would need to go against the instructions if I were to use the spikes.
Is the 30 inch warning there to protect the tree's roots from being spiked (in which case I can be careful and take the risk) or because the fertilizer itself will damage the tree being in high concentration (in which case I should return the spikes)? Or is there some other reason for the warning?
Update: One suggestion below is to break the spike in half to reduce the concentration of fertilizer. Is that a good idea?
Final update: The die is cast and I've put half a spike in each pot. Depending on how the trees respond, I'll post any further updates as answers to the question.