Is there any practical use for "sweetgum balls" as a mulch or in landscaping?
I live in the Southeast, in zone 7, where sweetgum trees are abundant. Quite a nuisance, they produce sweetgum balls (seed pods) that make for difficulty in walking and are difficult to collect and remove. Might there be an appropriate eco-friendly use for these balls, say, as a mulch or in some other capacity within the landscape? It seems a pity to allow an abundance of raw materials go to waste. . . .
Well, when I was a kid, I collected them, sprayed them with gold paint, and made christmas tree ornaments out of them.
But that's not going to use the quantity you'r talking about. Using it as a mulch would work, mulch-wise, but you'd most likely get lots and lots and lots of sweetgum seedlings.
I'd maybe try piling them up compost-style, if they sprout seedlings too freely, maybe spread them out to a six inch depth, and solarize them for 2-3 weeks under clear plastic to kill the seeds, then use them for mulch.
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