Susan, keep in mind that these are "UP TO" release times. The higher the temps the lower the longevity of the fertilzer
taken from
http://www.tree-land.com/ferti...
One common question that customers have is if there is an exact duration at which the Dynamite releases fertilizer so they know when to reapply. Controlled release fertilizers like Dynamite have variable release rates based primarily upon soil temperature and slightly upon moisture. Customers can not simply reapply the Dynamite 9 months from their previous application as the label suggests. The 9 months is used to indicate the number of days required for 80% of the contained nitrogen to release when the Dynamite is held at a constant temperature of 77° F.
So in other words the higher the temp the more fertilizer is released and the shorter it will last. I bought some Osmocote 3-4 month one time because BWI didn't have anything else close to the ratio I wanted. Anyway the label reads
at 70° lasts 3-4 months
at 80° last 2-3 months
at 90° lasts 1-2 months
and when it gets over 90 is lasts even less and we can get in the high 90s and 100s in the summer
The Nutricote (the professional big bags) label says for the 9-10 month that
at 70° lasts 10 months
at 80° last 9 months
so anything over 80 starts knocking it down more in longevity
In some areas this will be fine since the temps don't get too hot but in areas where the temps get high you wouldn't want to use a lower release time unless you want to reapply more often.
