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According to John: Tough Love for Trees

TOUGH LOVE IS BEST FOR HEALTHY, WELL BEHAVED TREES There is a lot of confusion and misinformation, when planting trees, regarding backfilling the planting hole with compost or other loose, rich, wood based planting mediums. Be tough, don’t do it. Planting holes should be backfilled with the same soil taken from the hole, even if soil conditions are poor. We can change that poor soil with gradual, long-term plant growth and establishment of complex microbial soil life. The best-studied arborists, soil scientists and horticultural professionals agree that amended backfill creates weakly rooted trees and plants that don’t want to leave the limits of the enriched hole. Instead, focus on using microbes, food for microbes and attractants for microbes (John & Bob’s products or equal) that won’t immediately change soil consistency and then mulch the top of the root ball and soil out to the limits of the tree canopy. Interfaces are created when divergent soil types come in contact with each other. Backfilled soil, with organic matter added, creates an interface with the native soil that roots and water have difficulty penetrating. Failure to penetrate these interfaces is a common cause of circling roots and unsuccessful long term establishment. The one exception to this is if you are attempting to plant relatively shallow-rooted, shade plants into hot, sunny locations. Plants like azaleas and Japanese maples will sunburn in hot locations, if not coddled with a rich backfill that keeps the roots cool during hot, stressful conditions. In doing so, you are purposely creating a soil container with special conditions that your plants will not root beyond. Planting holes should be dug no deeper than the height of the root ball. The point is to set the root ball on undisturbed soil to prevent settling. Nothing is worse for long term, healthy tree and plant establishment than subsidence of the root ball. So be tough, even if it appears you are planting on some type of hardpan layer, you should still plant on undisturbed soil. Make sure water will drain through, however; if it will not, then a deeper excavation or drilling through the hardpan layer is appropriate. The drilled holes should be thoroughly settled by using water and the passage of time. If the soil appears hard as concrete, but water will drain through, it is best to leave it undisturbed and plant right on top. It might hurt you, but it is the right thing to do. The soil hole should be dug 2-5 times the diameter of the root ball—the wider the better. Roots grow more quickly into loosened soil, thus speeding up the tree’s establishment period. Focus your well intentioned plant kindness of over excavation around the root ball, not under it. Be smart, be tough, don’t listen to your neighbors and your garden will eventually be healthy and successful.

Amazing Products

I used the [Clay/Hard Soil Solutions] kit on some pretty barren clay. Within 4 weeks, I could plant and grow successfully! Amazing products! It turns unusable soil into a garden with little effort.

Anyone that has Hard Clay Should Buy this Product

For anyone that has hard clay should buy this product. I would recommend it to anyone. [John & Bob's] turned my garden from clay to rich soil.

Can't Believe the Results

Couldn't believe this product worked so well, was the first time I have ever had anything thrive in this soil.

Crop Yield and Growth are Better with John and Bob's

Used on one-half of the ground where I planted corn and tomatoes. There is a noticeable difference between the plots. Yields and growth are better on the treated ground.

Easy to Use

I recommend these products because of their ease of use and because it seemed to make the plants grow faster and bigger than the plants we did not use the products on.

Easy to Use

It’s very easy to use. The contents of the kit covered a wide range of problems.

Fantastic Results

My lawn soil was poor, bare spots & thin grass. Did not expect much in results but scattered rain did make fantastic results. Grass is now thick and is best part of lawn.

Fantastic Results

I began using John & Bob’s GrowGreen system by putting it on one half of my backyard w/ gardens and grass and did my normal fertilizer on the other half. The results are fantastic! John & Bob’s out-did anything that I have been using! What a difference in plant size and durability, even in hot, dry weather. It is an all inclusive package that works well in multiple applications.

Flourishing Daylillies

Due to an herbicide in our top soil we purchased (we didn’t know at the time), my daylilies were looking sick and these products brought them back to life. All 60 of them are flourishing. My husband thought we would have lost the daylilies, if not for these products.

Garden Thriving after John and Bob's

I have good old North Carolina red clay. After using this product, my vegetables are bigger, healthier. My flower garden is also thriving in areas that have been difficult in the past.

Great Products

Great products. I tested a small plot on my neighbor’s property, as well. Amazing results. How easy it was to use. Instructions were so clear. My neighbor wanted to know where I got it. I gave her the box so she could get some. Great products.

Helps Grass and Flowers Grow

My yard has clay and hard soil. This product was easy to use and helped grass and flowers grow.

Huge Difference in Landscape Vitality

We planted two Japanese Maples at the same time in the front of our house as a landscaping focal point. One of the Maples grew very quickly and appeared to be very healthy, with vibrant color. The other tree appeared stunted and grew only sparse foliage and never appeared like it would ever catch up to its twin. We tried a number of different applications to try to improve the apparent health of the smaller Maple. Nothing worked and we were getting very frustrated – we even considered replanting. As a last chance effort, we applied John and Bob’s Soil Optimizer to see if the quality of the soil was causing the difference in the trees. An amazing thing happened – over the next year, the stunted tree began to put on more and healthier foliage, its color improved dramatically and it began to close the size gap. After two years, the difference in the two Japanese Maples has lessened considerably and we are no longer considering removing one. In fact, we have continued to apply John and Bob’s twice a year and it is apparent that eventually the two trees will be of similar size, stature and health. They will visually appear “like twins”. We have applied John and Bob’s Soil Optimizer throughout the rest of our yard and in all of the beds. Our landscape has never looked better and appeared to be so healthy. There is no question in my mind that John and Bob’s works, is safe, simple to apply, economical and makes a huge difference in the vitality of the landscape.

I am Recommending John and Bob's

I am recommending this product. I used it on areas that for the last 5 years and multiple products later, nothing worked. The area in my backyard where workers dug my well were hard, compacted, no grow zones. I rototilled, raked, tried multiple products and it remained a no grow zone. Finally, after using your products, the areas are filling in. Thank you.

Impressed

I would recommend John & Bob’s GrowGreen system to anyone who has hard clay soil. This is the first year that I have not had to hand dig and apply copious amounts of soil amendments. My lettuce and snow peas are healthy and extremely productive. I also applied the GrowGreen system around my day lilies. Although, they haven’t bloomed yet, the foliage is lush and healthy. I would certainly use this product anywhere on my property. I really like the fact that I only need to apply every 6 months. I also feel that the price for these products is worth every penny. Renting a rototiller for 1 day costs more. Plus, my gardens receive the added benefit of nutrients. My family was impressed, especially when they didn’t see me in my gardens with a pitch fork this year.

John and Bob’s Increases Earthworm Population

My test area was approx. 350 sg. ft. The product was easy to use. The vegetables raised in this virgin area were a very good quality and the taste was great. We had beets, sugar snap peas, potatoes(fingerlings) and carrots. When we dug our carrots and potatoes we found many earthworms. Earthworms were not in this spot prior to the application of your products.

More Abundant Flowers

Flowers were much more abundant, brighter and the plant itself was healthier looking. Neighbors commented on the vibrant color of our flowers.

Outstanding

It’s been a year since I first applied John and Bob’s Soil Optimizer and I wanted to express my reaction to your product. I applied Soil Optimizer in several areas of my yard, specifically in areas of established perennials and on sections of bare soil that had been unproductive in the 24 years I have lived in my home. My intention was to revitalize my older shrubs and ground covers, as well as improve the infertile soil so that it would be more tillable and prolific. Positive results were realized sooner than I anticipated; a neighbor stopped one spring day to comment that my flowers were more colorful than they had ever been. As time passed, all of the shrubs in my yard became more robust and greener than in past years. On the infertile and crusty soil, it became much more friable and quickly supported growth where it had failed before. Although, I am not a professional landscaper by any means, I have been an avid “green thumber” for 45 years. Our garden was the venue of one of Fresno’s major fundraising tours, as well as being featured on the weekly public television gardening program. In a word, I think John and Bob’s Soil Optimizer is OUTSTANDING!

Plants Grow by Three Inches

Thought you should know that our editors have been putting your (Soil Optimizer) product to the test in our staff garden and they love it thus far. In addition, I was talking with our edit staff about a tomato plant of mine, whose growth seemed stunted. They gave me one of your trial packets to try, and I sprinkled it around the top of the soil. Would you believe that this morning I went outside and the plant is once again producing fruit and has grown by three inches!?

Potent, Yet Safe

I’ve used John & Bob’s at my home, at my growing grounds and at many customers’ homes. It counteracts the most common problems of Valley soils and encourages beneficial microorganisms at the same time. It’s potent, yet safe, and I recommend it to my customers constantly.

Tremendous Difference in Soil and Flowers

I would recommend this product because it made a tremendous difference in the soil and flowers in my garden.The soil looks richer and the flowers that bloomed this year were alive and rich.

Vegetable Garden

I used your products in my vegetable garden. Last year our neighbor’s swimming pool collapsed, pouring thousands of gallons of chlorine water into the garden. We lost almost half of last year’s crop. We were concerned with the soil for this year and figured this would be the ultimate test of John & Bob’s GrowGreen smart soil solutions and it did the trick. Without adding any other soil enhancers to the garden, we grew more than enough to fill our freezer for the winter and eat all summer long. Everyone was amazed that the garden grew at all.

What is the shelf life?

Question: What is the shelf life of your products after they are opened, or not opened? Thanks, Dale. Answer: Dale, the products have excellent shelf life, but there is some variation from product to product. 1. OPTIMIZE will last the rest of our lives opened or unopened. 2. MAXIMIZE is equally durable and viable and will store indefinitely. 3. PENETRATE keeps a long time, but after one year, we noticed that the bacterial counts in Part B begin to decline slightly, so you get the most active product if you use it within one year, and of course, you need to keep 'A' and 'B' in separate containers. Once you mix them, there is virtually no shelf life and it should be used within 12 hours. 4. NOURISH-Biosol keeps for several years in an unopened bag (should be used within 5 years). Once you open it, you need to seal it well for storage and keep as dry as possible. If an open bag is not resealed and the NOURISH is exposed to moisture in the air, usually a mold will begin to grow on it and while it will still be useable, that is the first step to decreased viability. The three dry products, OPTIMIZE, MAXIMIZE and NOURISH can be mixed together and applied all at once for convenience, but they will not store for more than a few days in this mixed state. If you mix them together you need to apply them immediately. Thank you for your interest! John

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