Sweetgum tree seed capsules or 'gum balls' are a major nuisance. The good news is that they can be reduced with the aid of Florel fruit reduction spray. We have found this spray to be effective on many trees with 80 to 90% reduction rates in typical years.
I use a strong backpack blower. Blow them into a pile, then rake them onto a tarp and haul them off.
Decorative: The empty pods from sweetgum trees can be used for decorative purposes. Add these spiky balls to an ornamental bowl, small basket, apothecary jar, or tray. Combine these with other items from nature. Acorns, pine cones, dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, small white pumpkins, and star anise.
Most of the imazapyr based herbicides do a great job of killing sweetgum trees! Many folks use the hack n squirt method and simply add 1 ml of imazapyr per each 3″ of tree diameter. If you fell and wish to treat the stumps, it is most effective to treat within five minutes or less of cutting the tree.
I advise folks to rake up the gum balls and toss them into the back of a flower bed or into a compost bin – they decompose and crumble eventually, and provide organic matter for our sandy soils. For what it's worth, some animals don't like walking on sweetgum balls either, nor do slugs like crawling on them.
If you're up for some experimenting, sweet gum balls can be used to make a tea from boiling the young green seeds. The resulting decoction is known for its antiviral properties and can be used as a preventative measure against sickness, or as a remedy for the flu (consult your doctor if symptoms persist).
Drag an old blanket across the affected area to snag the burrs in the lawn. Once you have removed as many burrs as possible, application of a pre-emergent weed killer will prevent any leftover seeds from germinating and taking hold in your lawn. This is best done in spring when new seedlings are ready to emerge.
Just like leaves, they must fall, so the tree can prep for new growth. The only difference is sweetgum balls drop all fall and winter.
Sweet gum roots are highly invasive, often growing near the soil surface and damaging sidewalks, pavements, and other infrastructure. The species also produces prolific hard, round fruits that litter the ground and are often a tripping hazard. Sweet gum trees have attractive fall foliage.
Probably the best way to initially kill sweetgum is with a chemical called Arsenal. Depending on the size of the trees it can be injected or if small seedling/sapling size the trees can be cut then this chemical (or something similar) can be sprayed over the top of the newly cut seedlings.
Sweet gum seeds are eaten by many species of birds, including goldfinch, purple finch, sparrows, mourning doves, wild turkey, northern bobwhite, and wood duck, as well as by squirrels and chipmunks.
Prices vary, but you can get as much as $20 for 100 sweet gum balls. Hopefully, this has given you some ideas on how to make a little extra money, easily maintain a clean yard, and put those sweet gum balls to good use.
If you are clearing land to build a house and happen upon a sweetgum, I hope that you will think twice before cutting it down. If you enjoy colorful fall foliage, butterflies and moths, and birds, and if you can find a place for the tree in your landscape, do so.
While the spiky gumballs of Sweetgum trees are notorious for their lawn litter, they don't pose a toxic threat to your canine companions.
Most gumballs have a freshness shelf-life of 18 months from their manufacture date. Gumballs.com has a freshness guarantee on all gumballs and candy. For any processed or manufactured food, the manufacturer is required to indicate a "best by" date or indicate when the product expires.
What to do with them? While not the best looking mulch, they can be used as such. They are said to deter rabbits, slugs and other critters.
Applications usually have to be done by a professional arborist. The first product is ethephon, which is sold as Florel Brand Fruit Eliminator®. The chemical ethepon (Florel) releases ethylene gas when it is sprayed onto the tree branches while sweetgum flowers are present in spring.
Raking with a close-teeth rake and bagging is an efficient way of getting rid of the balls.
Not only does the tree produce massive amounts of the gum balls, but they are notorious for being impossible to compost, mulch, or even rake up in their large quantities. Ridding your property of Sweetgum balls with a lawn vacuum or mower is a challenge.
Sweetgum balls can be run through a chipper for mulch, but should not be composted as they take years to decompose.
Of course he is, because squirrels apparently do find these sweet gum spiky balls to be a delicacy….
Other extracts derived from sweetgum trees have shown potential as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and chemopreventive agents. The compounds found in the extracts derived from sweetgum sap suppress hypertension in mice.
Use a post-emergent herbicide- DSMA or MSMA products will be effective for treating young grassburs. As the grassburs grow and mature, they become much harder to eliminate. Liquid post-emergent products are more effective than dry.
The culprit is the hardened fruiting body of Lawn Burweed. Lawn Burweed is a winter annual which means that it begins to grow during the winter months. As soon as spring arrives, the seed head will start forming. Those seeds harden off to become the prickly little balls that hurt so much.
Some commonly used herbicide mixtures are: 2,4-D + MCPP; 2,4-D + dicamba; 2,4-D (or MCPA) + MCPP + dicamba; 2,4-D + dichlorprop; 2,4-D + triclopyr and clopyralid + triclopyr. These herbicides will successfully control many broadleaf weeds found in cool season turf.