My soil test says I don't need any additional nutrients, lime or anything. He He a lot of funny comments here. We are wasting our time buying all these copper nails. If a root system gets into your plumbing, you are pretty much done for. Like Ashley, youve probably heard about injections to stop the balls from growing. but beware: if you neighbor refuses to chop the tree down, youve just lowered both your property values and you have the added benefit of a fire hazard in addition to a ideal new home for large insects populations. Only Matthew Allen is correct on this one,the scientific conjecture is hog wash(they probably make medical implant devices! And, this is not to even mention the root systems. I need a cheap, effective method of killing these trees in place. We just need to loosen the nut on the joist end once a year to allow for growth. I heard you can drill a hole in the tree to its core and drive a copper ground rod in there and within a year it should quit producing balls ????? For more info, go here.Why do copper nails kill trees? There are two products that can be used, and they need to be applied annually. View our Privacy Policy for more information. Copper nails?? They make really pretty ornamental touches for wreaths for every season when left natural, and I've used them in floral arrangements by gluing them onto thin sticks and placing them right in with cut, dried. We have a publication that provides when to add the nitrogen and how much. The roots seem to sprout up when they have the combination of water and light, I think light being the key. UREA can also be used as a fertilizer and mixed with water it has a low pH. While this selection is reputedly from North Carolina, the Missouri Botanic Garden lists it as hardy in zones 5 to 9 and confirms it as not setting the infamous gum balls. Animal lovers beware. ), Copper will kill a tree! However, I have turned a developer provieded hedge into a fence to allow my fruit more water and resources and now need to ensure that the hedge doesnt grow back after cutting it right down. Hey, I haven't gotten the flu in several years. These handsome trees have a pyramidal canopy when young that becomes rounded with age. Anyone that wants them is welcome to them. This is to save the cost of grubbing out. (07/22/2008), My 9 year experience with a twenty year old sweet gum tree is: 1) the spikey balls are good for nothing, except building muscles raking the never ending supply, 2) it will raise the floor of your garage an 1 1/2" in the course of a couple of months and evidently crack it, 3) the branches, at any age, will easily snap in a wind storm - and aim for your roof, 4) the wood burns well, but only after it dries for three years, AND, 5) unless you dig all the roots out once you've fallen the tree and dug out the stump, you will continue to have sweet gum starts all over your world for years. invite both neighbors to bbq and quit being a pussy. Regardless, I need to kill hundreds, probably closer to about a thousand of these things. Native Area: Australia - Tasmania USDA Growing Zones: 7-10 Height: 40+ feet Sun Exposure: Full sun I Cant afford calling out someone to clear every time this happens. I am not an urban troublemaker. Nice try though! The figure above shows which apple cultivars bloom during the same time. I put it up wet and attached planks using galvanized ring shank siding nails in a siding nailer (single row of nails right down the center of the board) into 2x4 furring strips spaced 2' apart. Ive seen trees ringbarked like that bridge a 10cm gap to repair themselves over a couple of years or so. It nearly led to a fist fight with my neighbour and his rough wife telling me to piss off and threatening me with a broom stick when I asked them to cut the trees because the drive is dangerous. Typically, 1 quart of the chemical needs to be mixed with 10 gallons of water to make a spray. After gathering your sweet gum balls, sort and count them. Growth regulators -- naturally produced or synthetic hormones -- disrupt the growth of a plant or of a single plant part. For instance, you can kill trees by spreading certain chemicals around the base, but youll likely do damage to the rest of the area as well. Thanks, gday have just cit down a rather large palm tree from my back yard i was told by tree lopper that it was dying ,but it still looked ok upon removal i found 2 galvinised nails in the trunk , the tree is on a fence line was wondering if this was some sort of attempt to poisen tree any help would be greatly appreciated thanks. Because a sweet gum tree may grow 80 feet tall and hose-end sprayers typically have a maximum good-pressure range of up to 30 feet, spraying a mature sweet gum adequately is difficult for a homeowner. Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. How do I stop my sweet gum tree from producing balls? Im kind of looking for the opposite information, what is Safe? While not the best looking mulch, they can be used as such. (Urea = Diaminomethanal). [I arrived at this site because I was wondering why people would want to use a copper nail to kill a tree]. This is a page about preventing a sweetgum tree from making balls. Answer (1 of 12): Late at night, light a pink candle, wear just your socks outside and approach the tree with your eyes closed. The tree needs the injections right before it flowers in spring. Some white crabapples can be used as a pollinator, but pears cannot. All varieties of apple trees should be cross-pollinated with another apple or crabapple variety. A charlatan not dealing from a full deck. I have had Davey Tree come out and spray the tree to help relieve the amount of monkey balls. Never seen such poor spelling or unscientific claptrap. The Liquidambar styraciflua growth rate is moderate to rapid . What the protagonists almost invariably fail to recognise when they come to the Ranger for some assistance is that the authorities will rarely take one side or the other in fact, they are more interested in the tree itself, because it is the tree which has amenity for the rest of us. Hammer copper nails into all of the notches. They height can vary by variety. I've used the product for about 2 hours today and already have the box it came in and another giant box (approximately 80 gallon) full of sweet gum balls! next to this path is a public house, and i have ivy ridden, desiesed, 80 t0 100 foot high trees, over hanging and blocking 70% off my day light. If your not going to tell then why write a long winded great grand pappy story? Many nursery catalogues include pollinization compatibility charts or recommend good apple varieties to use as pollinizers. The bit is the tool which drills the hole. Its just like you say Matthew , it has to be a stump. There are people who will buy them for craft uses as well. But, sure, Ill give you my solomn promise that everything I ever write is true, except this comment, which is entirely false. One is a tall bush that greww to about 50 feet. Poisons easy to locate point of application by a certified arborist. Make a gift An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. They are taking over but must band together and continue the fight for future generations. Two little nails wont do any (much?) Maybe inhaling the "fumes" from the crushed leaves has something to do with it? I hate to admit this to you, but I would like to kill the leylandii! I put them in the bottom of my potted plants (annuals) instead of rocks, for drainage. 2023 The Davey Tree Expert Company. About the only thing I can think of is to remove the tree. It will be evident to anyone who sees the tree is has been killed on purpose. 7. 'The Tree and Shrub Specialist' says that iron nails were previously driven into fruit trees to encourage fruit bearing, under the misconception that it would make up for iron deficiency in the soil. I know those hanging are going to start dropping anytime. Then, the flowers drop, preventing the balls from ever forming. Driving a copper nail into a tree does nothing. Use Snipper to eliminate costly maintenance of . Hammer in a copper nail near the base of the tree at a slight angle pointing downward. The Missouri Master Gardener program is supported by the University of Missouri Extension. When the flowers appear in spring -- typically in April and May -- spray all the blooms with an ethylene growth regulator, such as ethephon. And the vandalising neighbour in some cases ended up in court!! As long as you use nails that are big enough to enter the growth cells under . You are taking the p*** out of us with this, arent you ?? By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, How to Stop Maple Tree Seed Pod Development, How to Get Rid of Bagworms on Japanese Maple. . My other arborist says, no, it would be best to drill a 1 hole slightly less than half way in and drive a 1 galv rod snug in, and bolt the joist on, He says the growth of the tree will freeze the bolt and we will still have to loosen the nut once a year. However, if you own the property and want to eliminate trees, you can still take advantage of this method. Or, leave natural and let the kids come up their own ideas/designs. Without lighter fluid, it took awhile for the coals to start. Battens were cut 1x3 1/2 and nailed using 3 . While it will probably be impossible to find nails that are all 100% copper, you should be able to find a close enough mixture to handle the task at hand. Should I add nitrogen to it or other vegetables? Allow Necessary Cookies & Continue At one time, the tree's twigs were even used as toothbrushes. Now dive into the Fall. The Sweet Gum tree is the sand spur of the forest. To assure prevention of lasting damage to the tree, copper inserts should be removed at the time of gumball maturation in control (untreated) trees. The right copper nails placed abundantly in with the depth can end the life cycle of a tree. So, in many cases, the Ranger finds himself defending not the harassed householder, nor the hysterical neighbour, but the trees. Do Copper Nails Actually Kill Trees? Put your flag poles in the ground or cover up the area with mulch. Youll always want to make sure that the nails you are utilizing for the task are as near 100% copper as they can be. Growth Facts Hardiness Zone: 5-9 Mature Height: 60-65' tall Mature Width: 5-6' wide Exposure: Full Sun Spacing: 4-8' apart Slender Silhouette Sweetgum Bower & Branch Trees and Plants Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' Regular price$475.00Regular Price Shipping Included In Stock - Order Today Can I Prevent Sugar Gum Tree from Growing Seed Balls. The Ranger responds: its a pretty good method but not foolproof. I have never heard of a tree being killed by copper nails, but I have heard of one being killed by the superstitious practice of embedding copper coins into the bark for luck. This might not always be the case, but more times than not it will cause that tree to disease. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question. The Department of Natural Resources recommends a combination of girdling and herbicide. (07/19/2008). I would be grateful. I give you my scenario. Whilst your case may be very worthy The Ranger has no intention of publicising any method of doing so. However, if you are dealing with unruly neighbors or an opposing landlord, you might not want them to know what you are doing.