Trees - Sweetgum
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  (February) I have two sweet gum trees with deformities that look like ridges of bark on the tops of the smaller branches. The older tree has been failing for 2 to 3 years, mainly on the lower limbs, but we hate to cut it down because it provides good morning shade for our house. The trees are about 50 yards apart. Can you suggest a remedy?

  Actually, what you think are deformities are naturally occurring corky ridges that form on many sweetgum trees. This should not hurt the plant at all, it is just a little extra woody tissue. When you say it is failing, what do you mean? Sweetgum trees are usually pretty tough trees. If it wasn't for the messy sweetgum balls, they would be more widely planted.

  Our neighbors have two sweet gum trees in their front yard which are very pretty and provide them with much needed shade during the summer heat. But, these trees also provide them with an over-abundance of thorny balls which are an ongoing problem. Is there anything that can be done to prevent the production of these balls-without harming the trees?

  There is a product on the market called Florel, that can be sprayed on a sweetgum tree to prevent it from setting sweet gum balls. It is a growth regulator sold under the trademark Florel. The chemical is Ethephon -- a growth regulator that produces ethylene and causes the flower buds to abort. It is not a common product at our local stores, and the smallest size we know of is a quart -- although it is not overly expensive -- it runs roughly $20 per quart. It is manufactured by a company named Monterey. To avoid fruit, you need to spray at the end of the bloom period. While it is possible to do, it is not a very probable task. Thorough coverage is also needed, which can be difficult on a large tree. It would be an easier solution to learn to live with the fruits. They can be used as a mulch around ornamentals -- this does help deter cats and slugs.

  I was told by a friend that there is something you can do to a sweetgum tree that will prevent the tree from producing gum balls. I would really like to know what to do. We don’t want to get rid of the tree, but the gum balls are really a headache to keep picked up, and they are hard on your lawn mower. 

  I rue the day I even mentioned the possibility of chemical control of sweetgum balls. My phone, e-mail and letters have been inundated with requests on what to use. While there is a hormone control on the market called Florel, the application of it would make it difficult, if not impossible to get complete control. Timing, plus thorough spray coverage are critical to success. I would not rely on something such as this to control your sweetgum ball problem.

  Help!! I have a small house on the Little Red River in Heber Springs which I bought approximately two years ago. The original owner built the back deck and roof eaves around a gum tree whose base has a circumference of three and a half. As can be noted on the attached photo the base of the tree is about two feet from the house foundation and is approximately 70 to 80 feet tall. Should I pay big bucks to have it cut down? It would have to be brought down in pieces to get it down due to its location. Or, since it is probably full grown can I just leave it alone? I’ve had various opinions and am confused on what to do.

  Your tree is not full grown; it is large, but as long as it is living, it will continue to grow larger. Due to the close proximity of your home, I would bite the bullet and have it removed. It is always hard to remove a tree, but building structures that close to large trees often result in problems. In this case, it is better to be safe than sorry.

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