KOLOA — In a matter of hours on Monday, Kaua‘i Nursery & Landscaping Inc. quietly relocated a pair of mature monkeypods from The Shops at Koloa Town project to a nearby site. The two heavily pruned trees made the short
KOLOA — In a matter of hours on Monday, Kaua‘i Nursery & Landscaping Inc. quietly relocated a pair of mature monkeypods from The Shops at Koloa Town project to a nearby site.
The two heavily pruned trees made the short voyage down Po‘ipu Road to the future site of a 20-acre community park, part of the larger Kukui‘ula development.
Two more are headed for separate Koloa locations.
Landowner Knudsen Trust donated one to Kauai Christian Fellowship at no cost. Koloa Creekside accepted the other and helped to defray the costs of the move, according to Knudsen Trustee Stacey Wong.
Wong said the two monkeypods now resting easy on Kukui‘ula property were actually gifted to Kaua‘i County.
Mayor Bryan Baptiste asked Kukui‘ula Development Co. to adopt the trees after a different site didn’t pan out. The company accepted and decided to place them within its park, which will eventually become county property.
“We are very pleased that Kukui‘ula has accepted the responsibility of caring for these treasured trees,” Baptiste said. “It is a huge task for the company involving a lot of resources to nurture mature trees that have been replanted in a new location.”
For Kukui‘ula, there wasn’t any hesitation when the mayor asked for their cooperation.
“We were very quick to say, ‘Absolutely,’” said Richard Holtzman, president of Kukui‘ula Development Co.
The monkeypods are visible from Po‘ipu Road — one near the property line and another set back behind a large banyan tree, which, incidentally, was retained as part of the landscaping plans at the urging of Kukui‘ula employees.
Holtzman said the park seemed the “most appropriate” place for the relocation within the 1,010-acre development.
“They are in the park intentionally so they would be available for the community at large,” he said.
Various factors must be considered before and after moving mature trees, including area light, moisture and soil health.
The trees were cut back to meet county width and height guidelines for transport on roads. The roots were also pruned, leaving an 8-foot-wide and 4-foot-deep root-ball.
The planting process was fairly simple, said Carolyn O’Connell, landscaping project manager for Kukui‘ula. A crane placed the tree into the hole and kept it steady as dirt was backfilled.
The trees are currently watered using pipes that reach the underground roots, and the irrigation water is initially being treated with vitamin B1.
Starting next week, the monkeypods will receive liquid fertilizer once a month for six months.
In addition, O’Connell said staff will watch for caterpillars and bores, which can invade the bark and kill the trees.
The entire process is nothing new for Kukui‘ula, which relocated two large monkeypods to its golf course a few months ago from another Po‘ipu development.
“They received the same treatment, and they are doing just fine,” O’Connell said.
• Blake Jones, business writer/assistant editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or bjones@kauaipubco.com
