Testimonials
Palm Tree Spike Testimonials
I was offered the chance to take over the grounds of Fairplex, home to the Los Angles County Fair, in August, 1992. I resigned from my position of 17 years as Lecturer/Nursery Technician for the Department of Ornamental Horticulture at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
One of the major problem areas I needed to tackle as quickly as possible was to initiate a proper feeding program to the 600+ acres that comprises Fairplex, Los Angles County Fair and Exposition Complex.
We have a fair amount of palms, as do many large areas in Southern California, and most of which were exhibiting classic deficiency symptoms. Yellowing or necrosis of the fronds with age, some with frizzle top. Granular top application were working, but over.under applications were problems, as were fairly often repeat applications. As I had hoped and anticipated, the Spikes have worked quite well on our palms. I am currently planning orders for our second year application.
One grouping of Phoenis canariensis that have been in raised planters for the last 20 years have shown drastic improvements. Archontophoenix cunninghamiana's that were consistently dropping fronds early are now holding heads of 8 to 12 fronds. Drastically up from 4 to 5 fronds from only 8 months ago. It is staggering to see the difference. They work so well that this year all palms are going to be treated with the stakes.
One funny side note. If your palms are in a grass area that is being grown with lower rates of nitrogen to decrease mowing frequency, beware. You will develop nice little circles about 8 inches in diameter above the area where the spike was inserted into the soil. This can be eliminated by general feeding of the lawn area, but you will increase your mowing frequency. But the lawn will look better.
I have also used them successfully in treating some deficiency problems in Sequoia sempervirens and Sequoiadendron gigantia.
Thanks for your follow-up interest in your customers. It is a nice touch in the business world to know that someone really does care.
Donald DeLano
Fairplex
Pomona, CA
In 1987 when Charles Lewison was superintendent at Dunedin C.C, Dunedin, FL., he tried and compared broadcasting, liquid injection and foliar spraying on 395 palms. Each method has major drawbacks, Lewison points out. In broadcasting, the fertilizer has to work its way through grass and thatch. In the process, rain and irrigation cause premature loss. The liquid injection dissipated even faster and foliar spraying required frequent applications.
Hearing of my frustrations, the Lutz Corporation developed their spikes, says Lewison.
In 1989 we used the spikes on 25 palms, and broadcasting and my drill/pour method on 360 palms. The other 10 palms were left untreated for comparison purposes.
The drill/pour and broadcasting took effect slightly sooner, but after 90 to 120 days those palms were again starting to show symptoms of deficiency. The 25 palms fed with Lutz spikes continued to show healthy green-up and top growth, reports Lewison.
To determine why this was happening, Lewison dug down to where the spikes had been placed. We found at least 50% of each spike still available for continued feeding. We were unable to find any trace of the poured fertilizer. This confirms Dr. Hunter’s research that 70% of granular fertilizer is lost after 10 inches of water.
After one year the Lutz/Spiked palms, while showing little if any deficiency symptoms, could probably use a maintenance treatment.
The Lutz spikes not only cut our labor time, but in the process, completely out-performed the other feeding methods. As a result, we have gone 100% to Lutz spikes, Says Lewison.
Charles Lewison
Dunedin C.C.
Dunedin, FL
I just wanted to tell Mr. Lutz that I have purchased all three spikes to treat my
queen Palms in the desert. It has been about three months and ALL 15 of my queen
Palms have healthy spikes coming out with new lush green foliage! Amazing! I am
telling all of my neighbors about your product. You saved my trees; I was going
to cut them down and replace them with Mexican Fans. I will be a client for life.
Benjamin Leaskou
Palm Springs, FL
I thought you would appreciate the enclosed photographs of how effective your fertilizer
maintenance Spikes have been on our Palm trees planted in 1999. We are located 2
½ miles from the Atlantic Ocean and the low temperatures rarely go lower than 28F.
Our soil as you might expect is very sandy with good drainage. The Sable palms have
fortunately not grown significantly taller but have extremely large heads with great
color. The Canary Island palms were only 3 feet in height when planted 5 years ago
and have become magnificent that people stop and take photographs. Once a year,
early April, fertilizing has been made far easier with your custom Fast/Planter.
You must get a high percentage of nutrients compared to other methods and I am certain
the palms enjoy the slow release of the fertilizer.
With sincere thanks for a highly effective product, I remain sincerely,
Douglas B. Pierson, Sr.
Ormond Beach, FL
This letter is both an endorsement of your products and an additional order. As
you know, I live in Charlotte, NC and grow cold-hardy palms outdoors. I have been
using your palm maintenance spikes, along with the manganese spikes, for about 5
years. I have been very pleased with the results on my windmill, sable minor, needle,
and sago palms. Healthy palms help weather cold winters better in marginal climates
like this one. I have been so pleased with your products that I gave them an unsolicited
endorsement recently on the Internet Website called "Hardy Palms and Subtropicals".
Visitors to this site live in Washington state, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee,
and the like. The Message Board is chock-full of amateur palm enthusiasts like me,
describing their palms and ways of keeping them thriving.
Please send me a 20 pack of the Lutz Palm Maintenance Spikes along with a 20 pack
of the Palm Manganese (Mn) Spikes.
I enjoy your company’s professionalism and service. I’ll await the receipt of the
shipment along with the invoice. Thanks you.
Ken Szymanski
Charlotte, NC
In response to your letter here is my opinion of The Lutz Palm Tree Spikes:
The Lutz Palm Tree Spikes saved my 3 Queen Palms.
While visiting my local hardware store, I came across the Lutz Palm Tree Spikes.
I read the brochure and was quite surprised that my Queen Palms looked very much
like the one featured in the flyer.
I purchased 30 of these spikes for my Palms and went home and planted them and prayed
that my Queens would survive. It took approximately 1 month to see the results on
the 2 Queens and 3 months on our 15 year old Queen that had not only suffered Manganese
deficiency but our brutal summer in Phoenix, Arizona. I really did think this tree
was not going to make it. So far this tree is showing considerable improvement and
appears that it will make a full recovery.
I would like to thank the Lutz Corporation for bringing such a wonderful product
to market. I have recommended your product to the landscaping company that I work
for and they have been very satisfied as well with their performance.
I thank you again for saving three of my favorite trees.
Joanna R. Forgie
Phoenix, AZ
After two years of virtually no growth on my transplanted Queen palms, I was considering
replacing them. As a last resort, I put down some Lutz spikes about six months ago.
Today these palms have all kinds of healthy, new, deep green growth. I just can’t
say enough about the Lutz Palm Tree Spikes. I would strongly recommend them for
anyone who hasn’t experienced recent growth on their palm trees.
Rob Robinson
Pheonix, AZ
We have used the fertilizer Spikes for almost two years. They are easy to install
and seem to give us favorable results.
Karen Summers
Sea Island Company
Sea Island, GA
We have used your Maintenance spikes now for about a year & half and they have
performed well for us. Our applications have been hotels with tropical atriums and
commercial business’ with an average of 30 palms. They also sell well to the average
residential accounts of about 2 to 6 palms.
A few days after I mailed you a note of favorable comments Rick came in from one
of our regular accounts of 57 palms and he was quite excited. He said that five
months ago, as he was trimming the palms, he noticed a slight crack in the head
of one 60 footer. He didn’t feel it was safe enough to climb and recommended removal.
The customer asked if there was any other solution and Rick said he could try Lutz
Spike and see what happens. He then fed the Palm 9 spikes. Now, 5 months later he
climbed the tree and was surprised to discover that the crack was totally mended.
We thought you’d like to know!
Rick & Leslie Boyles
Lumberjack Tree Service & Paradise Palms, Inc.
Upland, CA
I have already received my Palm Maintenance Spikes for this season. They are doing
an excellent job. I will be applying them to additional palms this year while holding
off spikes on those trees treated last year. I am trying to determine if the spikes
are good for two seasons.
Dr. Kyle Brown
Lake City Community College
Lake City, FL
I wanted to write and let you know the results I have had using Lutz Maintenance
Spikes. I am the Interiorscape manager for Laurel Creek Nursery. In the past potted
palms have been used infrequently in our accounts. One of the reasons for this
was the difficulty supplying proper nutrients to palms. Our customers would complain
of yellowing fronds, and curled leaves. Close inspection would reveal orange specks
in the yellowed fronds, and a few necrotic margins.
We began using Lutz Maintenance Spikes in August. I am pleased to say that our potted
palms have never looked better, and as a result we are using more palms. I have
used the maintenance spikes on the following potted palms: Adonidia, Neanthe Bella,
Kentia, Areca, Rhapis Excelsa, Date, Bamboo, Chinese Fan, Fishtail, Triangle, and
Majesty. Our customers are pleased with the way their palms look.
Many thanks for developing this product.
Judy L. Little
Laurel Creek Nursery
Christiansburg, VA
We have been using the Lutz Palm Tree Maintenance Spike for about three years. They
outperform similar granular type fertilizers by correcting nutrient deficiencies
faster and more effectively. We also recommend them to our retail customers.
John Klement
Valley Garden Center
McAllen, TX
Your manganese spikes saved two of my mature Queen palms. They worked wonders! Looking forward to using the maintenance spikes to really green them up.
Joe Warnas
Scottsdale, AZ
The palm tree that we bought back to life with your spikes is still doing fine. Full crown of 8 deep green fronds!
Also, the five cluster palms, in center of front yard are doing great - along with the 10¢ store house Philodendrons, which are growing up the palm tree trunks.
The Philodendrons, now have leaves that are 14" wide + some 20 to 25" long - the only thing that they have had as food - is 8 of your spikes that I put around the cluster of palms.
The Philodendrons not only have huge leaves - but have grown almost up to the palm crowns!
Another species of plant that likes you spikes is Exoria. They get the runoff from the original palm that was nipped by frost in patio entrance way. They also are looking better than ever before - they have deep green leaves - with clusters of numerous red flowers. Again the only thing that was done differently was about 10 of your spikes.
Earl J. Wolf, Jr.
Indialantic, FL
Citrus Tablet Testimonials
Martha Stewart uses our tablets on her potted citrus trees! Click the link below to view her video on fertilizing citrus trees.
I am just letting you know how pleased I am with your citrus tablets. I have a Duncan
Grapefruit tree, a Robinson Tangerine and a Satsuma plus a Meyer lemon. I placed
your tablets as you recommended around the trees in February and it appears that
I will be getting the largest harvest ever. The even coverage and the lack of run
off seems to have done the trick.
This was a short note just to state I will be back to order more when needed.
Thanks again for your attention to your customer.
William G. Brasfield
Gainesville, FL
Your Citrus Tablets are absolutely great. I’m sold on them. Your customer service
is super as well. My trees have never looked so good and have more fruit than ever.
Carol Macdonell
Austin, TX
In addition to citrus, Mr. Joseph Powell of Powell’s Nursery in Punta Gorda, Florida
has had very good success using our Super Citrus Tablets on hardwoods such as Oak,
Holly, Black Olive and Mahogany. On these he recommends using only 2 to 3 tablets
per inch of trunk diameter. He tells me he has seen these trees go from a 2" caliper
and about 8’ high to 3" caliper and 12’ high in one year. Mr. Powell also tells
me that some of his customers report the Citrus Tablets also do an excellent job
on peach, apple and pear trees.
Joseph Powell
Powell’s Nursery
Punta Gorda, FL
Iron Pellet Testimonials
Thank you for your card of August 31st regarding our experience with your Super
Iron Chlorosis Pellets. We use the Pellets on Azaleas and Rhododendrons and have
had excellent results using them. We especially like them because they last longer
than other iron we have used in the past.
John Munnich
J & M Homes & Gardens
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Enclosed please find the picture of the azalea after 4 weeks. This after the application
of 3 iron pellets.
Arthur Cleveland
TruGreen-ChemLawn
Orlando, FL
Our Super Iron Chlorosis Pellets are doing an outstanding job for us. We are using
them on Red Oaks, Sweet Gum, and Pine trees; and on Azaleas, Photinis and Hollies
as well.
Gary Lascalea
Grogreen
Plano, TX
Maple/Birch Spike Testimonials
It was a pleasure speaking with you last week. Upon seeing an ad for your Lutz Tree
Spikes I was very happy to find out I had access to them. In the past, I had been
able to purchase them through a local supplier that has since gone out of business.
We have tried about every other product on the market to make our Red Maples, Pin
Oaks and other problem trees come out of the Chlorosis that is so common here in
Northern Illinois. We started a program using your Lutz Manganese Spikes a few years
ago and much to our surprise, our trees responded within the first year. It is very
rewarding when the customers sees that the program you suggest works, not to mention
the cost savings versus using liquid feed equipment. Enclosed please find our order
for additional spikes.
William L. Parker, Vice President
Moore Landscapes Inc.
Glenview, IL
Your Manganese Spikes are doing an absolute job on a Red Maple. I feel they saved
the tree. I’ve been telling my neighbors about them.
Peter Fillinger
Menomonee Falls, WI
The two Silver Maples that have only been fed Lutz Manganese Spikes for the last
two years are the hardiest robust Maples I’ve seen in my 32 years as State Forester.
George Poe
Oregon, IL
We've tried many things and your Manganese Spikes are the only ones that work. We're
very happy with them, as are our clients.
Dave Wiley
Mokena, IL
Your Manganese Spikes have done wonders on my Red Maples and Sugar Maples. We will
be ordering more come spring.
James Byron
Chicago, IL