One of the benefits in moving into older, established neighborhoods are the mature trees that line the landscape. One of the drawbacks to moving into older, established neighborhoods are the mature trees that line the landscape…especially when storms come.
The fall of ’08 brought windstorms to much of the country, one of those centered in Monty’s home-city of Louisville, KY. The destruction was almost total in some areas, especially in the older parts of town where aging trees were toppled. Trees, limbs and debris crashed through homes, downed power lines, and closed many businesses and parts of town including our own corporate headquarters.
The sun did come out again, after all, the sun does shine bright on our old Kentucky home. When it did, the recovery began. So, too, did an experiment. An experiment conducted by our own Director of Compliance, David Chinn and Metro Government. Metro governement was replanting trees where the destruction had been the most severe if the homeowners agreed to take care of the trees once they were planted.
Mr. Chinn agreed to care for the three sweet-gum trees in his neighborhood. His own tree, and one in front of each of his neighbor’s homes.
The basic care consisted primarily of watering the trees. This was done by filling a treegator® as needed with 20 gallons of water which would then be slowly released so as to water each tree deeply. 
The only difference between the way the three trees were treated was that Chinn put three tablespoons of Monty’s 8-16-8 in his watering bag and not in the other two. The trees were planted in mid-June and the pictures were taken on October 31st. As you can tell from this picture, the tree stayed greener, longer into the fall, plus it is showing more new growth.
In this picture, you can see the dense nature of the new growth, the larger leaf size
compared with the leaves on the older growth of the young tree and again, the darker foliage. Trees tend to yellow from the top down, the fact that this one did not tends to indicate that the new growth had access to nutrients while forming that the lower branches did not.
The tree at his neighbor’s home has less dense growth and the leaf size is uniform. Additionally, notice that the leaves are yellowing from the top/middle, down.
What you see above ground is evidence of what is happening below ground. through Monty’s program should provide for better root development and help protect the tree and provide for better establishment and improved survival rate.
Louisville’s Metro Government has expressed great interest in the project and hopefully, soon, they will be using it across the board on all future replanting plans. We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime you can learn more about landscaping with Monty’s Products here. As well as here.
While Monty’s cannot prevent storms from coming or destruction form happening. Hopefully our products will continue to be used by homeowners so that the effects do not last as long and once again the benefit of living in an older established neighborhood will be the mature, established trees.
t how about the ‘why’. Fall makes an excellent time to do you soil test for several reasons.