Trees - Gingko
Back to Trees

  (May) I want to plant a tree in the corner of a small (30 feet by 40 feet) private cemetery. There are 3 grave markers inside the fence. Can you suggest a kind of tree that would live a long time, yet not get so big as to cause problems with the fence or the markers?

  How about a gingko. They are lovely trees, very slow growing and long lived.

  (September) We have two beautiful Ginkgo trees in our backyard in Helena (Phillips County). One is about thirty years old and the other about twenty five years old. The problem is every fall the old and larger one produces what our family has come to call "puke" balls. The name approximates the awful stench of these balls that fall daily from the tree for several weeks. My husband has the nasty job of raking and bagging them to keep our dog and grandchildren from tracking the odor into our house. Is there anything we can do to keep the tree from producing these wretched balls? We do not want to cut it down because our son planted it when he was a child and our grandchildren love to climb it.

  Unfortunately, this is the fruiting structure of the female gingko tree. That is why it is recommended that people only plant male trees. The fruits are a real nuisance, and their odor can be overwhelming, especially if you run over them with a lawn mower. There is growth regulator spray called Florel® by Monterey Lawn and Garden Products that is labeled to prevent many varieties of trees from setting fruit. Not all trees are listed on the label. Timing and thorough coverage are extremely important. If the tree is large, it may not be feasible. You would have to spray when the tree was in full bloom, which may be hard to figure out. If you spray too early or too late, it won’t work. Other than that, you just have to live with it.

  (September) I planted a gingko a couple of years ago that has grown very little. It has put on a few leaves each of the last two years but that's about all. I keep it watered so that's not the problem. I occasionally also mix in some Miracle Gro with the water to give it some extra nutrition. However, I'm getting almost no growth.

  Gingko's can be slow to establish, especially the first year or two as they establish roots. I hope the soil is not pitiful and full of rocks, since anything that majorly impedes root growth, will also limit top growth. Try fertilizing with a slow release high nitrogen fertilizer next spring, and see if that helps. Gingkoes are fabulous trees, but fast growing is not one of their assets.

  (October) What is the procedure for planting Gingko Seeds?

  Gingko seeds can be collected in the fall. Remove the outer pulp surrounding the seed and store them in moist sand for 10 weeks at 60 to 70 degrees. This permits the embryos to finish developing. Then move the bag of seeds to your refrigerator for 60 to 90 days for a cool spell. After that they should sprout. There are some reports that the first warm storage period is not required, so you may try some both ways, and see which provides better results. One word of caution -- when growing seedlings, you won't know the sex of the tree until it blooms, and by then it may be too late. Most people prefer male gingko's to avoid the odor emitted by fruit formed on females.

  (December) I have three large Gingko trees in my yard. I assume that two of these are female as they bear much fruit every year that creates quite a large stinking mess. If I remove the tree that does not bear the fruit will this stop the other two trees? I do not know of any other Gingko trees in the area.

  While it is true that you must have both male and female trees to produce fruit on a gingko, chances are probably pretty good that your females will have a male to pollinate them at some point in their life. If not this year, sometime soon. Gingko trees are wind pollinated, and while I am not sure the exact distance the pollen must be for pollination to occur, I would bet that there is a gingko in wind distance somewhere. Although I know the fruits can be a smelly nuisance, is it that long-lived that it is unbearable? If so, the two females should be removed. You could also live with it for a few years while you plant some males nearby to take their place.

Back to Trees