Proud sweet gum tree ball owners realize that the plant’s shiny glow can’t be beaten. However, even the enchanting colors can’t make up for those spikey brown balls.
You’ve mostly likely heard about injections to hinder the balls from growing. But are these injections safe or effective? Read on to find out ways to manage this prickly issue.
When and Why Do Sweet Gum Tree Balls Fall?
The spiky balls are really clusters of fruit with tiny seeds inside that squirrels and prey nibble on. By the middle of fall, the balls are seedless and dead. Just like leaves, they have to fall in order for the tree to get ready for new growth. The only difference is sweet gum tree balls drop during the winter and autumn.
Sweetgum tree branch
Are They Edible?
While they aren’t edible, the balls function as mulch to keep animals away from young plants. You can be creative and use them to form decorative balls for bowls or holiday trinkets.
Stopping Sweet Gum Balls from Reproducing
For your best chance of stopping sweetgum balls, get in touch with a certified arborist from Orchard Park Tree Service.
The tree needs the injections immediate before it blooms in spring. Then, the flowers drop, stopping the balls from ever materializing. An arborist tells the best application time every year using technology that calculates bloom time and peak pest appearance.
There are some DIY growth-stopping sprays that have ethephon. You must precisely follow the instructions. Too much injection can stunt your tree. The timing is extremely critical. Usually, there is just seven days you have to stop the balls completely. Otherwise, your sweetgum tree will still generate balls.
What Fruitless Sweetgum Tree To Plant As An Alternative
If you want to say bye-bye to those balls forever, exchange your tree with a fruitless sweetgum tree. The roundleaf sweetgum is well-liked as the top alternative to fruiting sweetgum trees.
It delivers all the appeal that other sweetgum trees do such as the spectacular fall colors, the tall stature, and the star-shaped leaves. Best of all, the roundleaf sweetgum flourishes very quickly.
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