GARDENPlants and seeds

Harmful Effects of Pesticides on Non-target Organisms

Q: Like many others, I planted maple trees a little close to the house years ago. Now we get seeds everywhere. It takes weeks to clean them up. Can anything be done to reduce, or better yet, eliminate the seeds?

A: Some maples are more prolific seeders than others, and some years are worse than others. When you’ve got both, lots of those little “helicopters” are the first stage of a new maple forest trying to take root.

There is a product called Florel (containing the growth regulator ethephon) that reduces fruit set on a variety of edible and ornamental trees. It’s labeled for use on maples. trifluralin

I’ve never used it myself and can’t say how effective it would be cutting down on your problem. The label lists a variety of precautions, including the possibility of defoliation and yellowing of tree leaves it’s sprayed on. Timing is important, i.e. before seeding starts. And then there’s the issue of how to get the spray on the upper leaves if your trees are getting tall.

Here’s a link to one vendor that sells it and has the product label posted online: www.montereylawngarden.com.

Weed preventers are another option if the main problem is with sprouting seeds. Chemicals such as trifluralin (the ingredient in Preen and other widely available granular weed preventers) and the organic corn gluten meal (a byproduct of corn) wouldn’t cut down on the number of maple helicopters coming down, but they might at least slow how many germinate. I wasn’t able to find any research stating how effective these are specifically on maple seedlings.

Weed preventers need to go down a week or two before the seeds (samaras) drop, and they need to be watered in.

Unwanted seeding can be a pain when seedlings are popping up all over. I pull ones I see and hold down weeds of all kinds by mulching. If possible, weed-whacking off the tops is another way to short-circuit the growth of patches of unwanted baby maples. trifluralin

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Helicopter spins like a maple seed

Field maple in fruit, with helicopter fruits Photo Mugs ROG-12745 Field maple in fruit, with helicopter fruits Acer campestre Bob Gibbons Please note that pritns are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way. contact details web ardea tel and 44 (0) 20 8672 2067 ….

Maple seed flight path Photo Mugs Maple seed flight path. Multi-flash photo composition of a maple seed (Acer sp.) spinning as it falls. Maple seeds are attached to the tree in pairs. When they are pulled off the tree by a gust of wind the pair are also pulled apart. As the individual seeds fall they begin to spin around their centre of gravity, which is located in the nut (small hard lump at one end of the seed). The spinning slo…

Maple Seed Whirlwind Copter $4.30 The William Mark Corporation has Designed the Giant Maple Flyer to Look and Fly Like a Real Maple Seed. An exceptional flying product for ages 9 and older.FEATURES: This oversized plastic maple seed launches up to 100 feet. As this seed falls to the earth, it spins like a whirlwind. Amazing maple facts are printed within the package. Real maple seed is included for you to plant. Flight instructio…

Photo Jigsaw Puzzle of Field maple in fruit, with helicopter fruits from Ardea Wildlife Pets $24.99 Photo Puzzle, Field maple in fruit, with helicopter fruits. ROG-12745 Field maple in fruit, with helicopter fruits Acer campestre Bob Gibbons Please note that pritns are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way. contact details web ardea tel and 44 (0) 20 8672 2067 . Chosen by Ardea Wildlife Pets. 10×14 Photo Puzzle with 252 pieces. Packed in black cardboard box of d…

Photo Jigsaw Puzzle of Maple seed flight path from Science Photo Library $25.00 Photo Puzzle, Maple seed flight path. Maple seed flight path. Multi-flash photo composition of a maple seed (Acer sp.) spinning as it falls. Maple seeds are attached to the tree in pairs. When they are pulled off the tree by a gust of wind the pair are also pulled apart. As the individual seeds fall they begin to spin around their centre of gravity, which is located in the nut (small hard lump at …