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Lawn Mower - Gum tree balls

15 years ago

Late fall and spring I have the 'gumball' headaches. My yard is littered with them. My riding lawn mower (15 yr old Toro-Wheelhorse) with rear recycling bin simply scatters them. Anyone here with a suggestion for a mower or yard vacuum=mulcher or anything else that will pick these up.

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Comments (4)

walt2002
15 years ago
My suggestion is chain saw.

Walt Conner
hercules
15 years ago
Walt,

Loved your response. LOL!!

I have a gum tree I planted in my front lawn 15 years ago. Until the year before last, it behaved itself and didn't produce those dastardly gumballs. I'll let it grow this summer yet...then the chain saw gets the sucker while it's still manageable for me to drop.

They're pretty trees, and the fall foliage is spectacular, but enough is enough of those damn spiked balls!

To the original poster: When you get to the point of having literally bushels of these damn things to litter your lawn, garden, or street (or all three), you'll wish you had never heard of this tree. On a mature one, the root system is vast, surface disrupting too, and extremely expensive to remove if thoroughly done.

Hal
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walt2002
15 years ago
"They're pretty trees, and the fall foliage is spectacular, but enough is enough of those damn spiked balls!"

My sentiments exactly. Driving down the highway I thought, " Boy those are beautiful trees, I have to have one."

"then the chain saw gets the sucker while it's still manageable for me to drop."

AND that is exactly what I did also.

Walt Conner
davidandkasie
15 years ago
when i was a kid my grandparents had 2 of them, on ein teh front yard and one in the back. we kids loved them not only for climbing but the balls were good "grenades' for war games and to shoot from sling shots. i know, both of these things will put a kid in juvi today and hav ethe parents arrested for not raising kids properly, but i digress.

anyway we LOVED them, my grandfather cursed them. he finally cut them down when one split and near about hurt on of us kids. prior to that he put up with them just for us. i have 2 in my yard, but they are way out by the horse pasture and i can just cut arond them when they drop.

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