What are yellow balls in the soil?

Question

In the first picture you can find my fingers, a ladybug and small yellow balls.

I found them in the soil, close to roots of a plant (Hardy Kiwi) that died last year, probably because of heat stress (I've described the problem also on StackExchange).

What is it?

Eggs of a snail?
Balls with fertilizer?

I got the plant at a local nursery. I have not been adding any fertilizer myself, when planting it, so it probably have been included in the plant original soil by the nursery.

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered May 06 '17 at 10:06

3

Fertilizer beads, possibly good old OSMOCOTE. Where did you get this plant? Did you plant this guy in this pot with potting soil?

Nurseries use OSMOCOTE often...extended release basic fertilizer. What plant died? Do you know why your plant died? These beads mean that you should not be fertilizing for at least 2 months maybe more.

More pictures, please.

answered May 06 '17 at 10:06

stormy

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Looks like Osmocote fertilizer to me. What do you think after cutting one open? – stormy May 06 '17 at 18:39

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 01 '19 at 23:03

They are likely chafer beetle or Japanese beetle eggs. My planters are full of them. Crush egg shells, mix with coffee grounds and diatomaceous earth and mix in well to the soil. You can go one further and dig up the plant, shake off the roots into a bucket and drop the mix directly into the hole before you put the plant back in. If you dig around you will likely find more eggs and probably grubs.

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered May 09 '20 at 16:44

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i agree that are animal eggs because if you crash them you see a liquid while if you crash osmocote you see powder

answered May 09 '20 at 16:44

Emilio Porro

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I am not seeing liquid, but small blue granules? – Stephie May 09 '20 at 17:32
Osmocote is a slow release liquid fertilizer. The resin spheres contain liquid fertilizer – kevinskio May 10 '20 at 12:05

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 07 '21 at 08:12

I believe they are animal eggs as I squished one this morning and there was liquid inside. The egg was prey big, smaller than my fingernail but big enough to be a snail egg. It popped when I squeezed it between my fingernails but the liquid sprayed onto my face so I guess I'm going to go take a long shower just in case :)

What are yellow balls in the soil?

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