"Danny D." wrote in message
...

I have seen the wife sprinkle blue fertilizer beads on the *top* of the
potted plants, where I think, "what good is it gonna do on top?" but she
says it gets deep (I doubt it does so efficiently).

If it is time release fertilizer it works because the fertilizer is
encapsulated in water soluble beads; water from rain or sprinklers dissolve
the beads - they dissolve at different rates - and the water carries the
fertilizer downward.