We have all been there. One minute you are happily walking down the sidewalk on a beautiful afternoon, and the next minute you are on the ground, clutching your ankle, and yelling a slew of unpleasantries. The culprit? A little prickly ball of doom, more commonly referred to as … the sweetgum ball. The spiky balls that fall from sweetgum trees are a nuisance to clean up, and a pain to step on, but Jackson Tree Service has a solution!
The Solution To Reducing Sweetgum Tree Balls
When applied at the right time, our sweetgum treatment will reduce the gumballs by about 80%! But you have to act fast. The window for treatment is in the next 2-5 weeks, depending on budding. The optimal time for our Sweet Gum Treatment is after they start budding, but before they fully mature and start to fall. They will look like this:
The Benefits Of Sweetgum Trees
While the sweetgum balls are rather annoying, the tree does have its redeeming qualities. The sweetgum tree attracts a great deal of wildlife including blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, squirrels, chipmunks, and even luna moths. These spiky little sweet gum tree balls are full of nutrients making them a great food for chipmunks, birds, and squirrels. In spring, the sweetgum also provides a source of nectar for the ruby-throated hummingbird and other nectar feeders. You also might be surprised to learn that sweetgum is a host plant for more than 30 species of butterflies and moths.
The Drawbacks of Sweetgum Trees
Each sweetgum tree annually drops hundreds of round, prickly seed capsules that can be easy to slip on when walking and are difficult to clean up.
The Conclusion:
While having this tree on your property can come with some aggravation, it is a tree worth keeping. Jackson Tree Service’s Sweetgum Ball Treatment can help the good outweigh the bad.
If you are ready to reduce those pesky sweet gum tree balls by up to 80% this year, call or text Jackson Tree Service! For more information on pricing or to schedule your treatment, call or text us at 314.423.9295.