You can remove sweetgum balls from your lawn and driveway! My neighbor has a sweetgum tree and every year it drops seed balls, thousands of the spiky things. I have sprained my ankle after stepping on them and having them roll unexpectedly. It's also not a good idea to run your lawnmower over them because they can be dangerous when the lawnmower spits them out and they become airborne at high speeds.
I considered several tools for the job, but after trying two different rakes and bending over and picking them up with my hands, I hit upon the winner.
John's Shop-Vac. It has the benefit of a long tube so I don't have to bend over and hurt my back, and there is the added advantage of entertaining people that walk by, wondering why I was vacuuming my lawn.
There were thousands of these seed pods littering our lawn and driveway, but with the Shop-Vac, it only took me a few hours to get them all cleaned up.
I filled up one and a half trash cans and feel like I've earned my beer this evening. I think I mentioned something previously about spray painting some of these gold and making a wreath, but I was just glad to get them cleaned up. I am not going to be the one making wreaths, but if anyone is interested, I have several thousand of these that you are more than welcome to.
One last ball. (And soon it will be time for dandelions!)
Be sure to stay tuned for Things to Do, Part 2: whacking carpenter bees with an old badminton racquet. :-)
LOL - your ending cracked me up as we had an old (and bent) badmitten raquet on our patio that Fletch uses ALL the time!!
ReplyDeleteGosh I hate those prickly sweet gum pods. And they are poorly named - nothing sweet about them! You sure got a lot accomplished (more than one beer's worth!).
Oh man! I am LOVING this! And, I can't wait for the badminton edition tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteHa! Thank you for starting my day with a laugh! I see a neighbor cleaning these up frequently, but he uses a pooper scooper!
ReplyDeleteOh, this is GREAT, Bonny! I wonder if that method would work for all the millions of tiny pine cones we have in our yard (that look just like dried dog poops by the way . . . ). Have fun swinging at the carpenter bees! (Up north, we have a "zapper" -- which is really a fancy badminton racket with a battery. It "zaps" when it makes contact . . . Very effective.) (But we look so silly.) :-D
ReplyDeleteHaha, Bonnie, I can't wait for the 'walking of wasps'. We have a big problem with wasps and I really dislike them. Last year, I got stung several times and boy howdy did that hurt!
ReplyDeleteYou are brilliant! (I think the neighbor should help!) Go get those wasps my friend...wacka wacka wacka!
ReplyDeleteWhat a hoot! You know, it is always so satisfying to find the right tool for the job, isn't it Bonny? Good thinking! Can't wait for Part 2 tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteThere is always ONE more! Too bad the shop vac can't pull the dandelions right out of the ground.
ReplyDeleteI love this! I wonder if a shop vac would work on all the stupid gravel we have that our previous landscaper used to edge our garden beds. Hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteThis is good intel, indeed. We have a huge sweet gum tree in our backyard and the balls must be removed every spring. We've enlisted our kids in this for many years (first, for fun - now, for pay). Some day this strategy will stop working and a shop vac may need to replace them. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteFun! Fun! I abhor sweet gum balls. I have vivid memories of stepping on one at the same exact time my other foot was mid air as I was out walking...had no choice but to go down...and I did! Fortunately, I didn’t break any bones... was stunned and sat there on the sidewalk, dumbfounded. Enjoyed this post, tremendously. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteCheers~
This is AWESOME!!!!! We have none of those gum balls here. But we have buckthorn and other invasive hearty plants we try to eliminate from our forest!
ReplyDeleteWell as they say - necessity is the mother of invention. What a great way to pick up those seed pods and cause neighbors to wonder what you are up to. I love it. I can't wait for adventure no. 2.
ReplyDeletewell now I've seen everything :) you are clever and I enjoyed your post. I do not have those things in my yard or driveway so i don't need to remove them. Isn't it nice the sun was shining and the air is getting warmer?? Love the spring!!
ReplyDeleteDang, now I want a shopvac. My dad had one (probably more) but he's gone and my brothers don't live close as I suspect they each have one. Maybe I just breakdown and buy one. I have a sweet gum tree and I love the shade and the color, but it is just above my clothes line and my balance is not the best. This would be a great solution!
ReplyDeleteIf I lived nearby and could actually visit, I would be glad to lend you my shop-vac, but alas. I hope you can find one somewhere as it really is a great tool for the job.
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