Could someone point me to the Sweetgum forum?

ChrisM · October 22, 2013, 09:46:31 PM

I took me about 5 minutes as a reading guest to realize Sweetgums make for a lot of conversations. :D So it leaves me to wonder if there's a hidden forum dedicated to them. This seems to be the emotionalicon for them. teeter_totter

Anyhow, I found this forum during my search and destroy mission. I was searching for answers in my quest to destroy Sweetgums. While reading some of the threads about them, I saw people using big words and using complete sentences so I figure they're smart and know what they're talking about. I look forward to reading some more and learning from you guys so I can best care for the new property I just bought.

Just a quick run down, it's only a 6 acre tract but the trees are very pleasingly diverse. So far I have identified White Oak, Red Oak, Water Oak, Birch, Poplar, Maple, Pear, Pine, Willow and of course the ever endearing Sweetgum.

Thanks for having me.

thecfarm · October 22, 2013, 09:48:51 PM

ChrisM,welcome to the forum. The man to ask about that is Magicman. He likes that stuff. :D About as much as I like grits. :D

WDH · October 22, 2013, 09:53:05 PM

Welcome ChrisM. I have seen a sweetgum or two. Lumber is pretty, hard to dry straight, spiral grain. Suckers from the roots bad. The sweetgum balls (fruit) are bad news in a yard. Prolific and competitive. Will take over if you blink. Has very little wildlife value. Garlon will kill it stone-cold-dead.

mesquite buckeye · October 22, 2013, 09:54:36 PM

Welcome ;D

ChrisM · October 22, 2013, 10:01:32 PM

Quote from: WDH on October 22, 2013, 09:53:05 PMGarlon will kill it stone-cold-dead.

Sounds like a wonderful product. I have saplings about as big around as your thumb and 6 feet tall or less. Hundreds of them cover the dam and have to go before the root balls make it start leaking. After having a track loader stopped dead by one of the stumps, I know how much wood they can have under the ground. And they trick you. It's just a bunch of little ones that you think, "awe that ain't no big deal" until you dig the bucket in and nearly flip your machine over when you hit that Volkswagen Beetle sized stump.

But enough about Sweetgums here. I can express my love for them in that elusive forum I am in search of. ;D

WDH · October 22, 2013, 10:09:18 PM

Looks like that we are gonna have to turn over a few big rocks and look deep into a few stump holes to find that Forum.

mesquite buckeye · October 22, 2013, 10:14:53 PM

They are purty. I like them. ;D

ChrisM · October 22, 2013, 10:16:33 PM

That's fine. I can wait for Admin to remember what they did with it. Probly put it somewhere smart like my wife does when I hand her something I will need again soon.

In the meantime, however, I am going to order me some Garlon and keep reading through the forum. I have no doubt that eventually I will find some new hobby that I can't afford to take up.

WDH · October 22, 2013, 10:19:30 PM

Get the generic version, Element 4. It will save you some $. You might need a lot of it as sweetgum is ubiquitous and expansive down here.

mesquite buckeye · October 22, 2013, 10:22:16 PM

If you guys stop bad mouthing it and start managing and promoting it, maybe it would be expensive instead of expansive. ;D I am funny.

WDH · October 22, 2013, 10:24:55 PM

There was a place in Louisiana that made chop-sticks out of sweetgum. However, they did not make it and went out of business

. They might have fared better with hackberry, but I am not so sure. :-\.

mesquite buckeye · October 22, 2013, 10:26:23 PM

Too crooked, or taste bad?

mesquite buckeye · October 22, 2013, 10:28:59 PM

I hear you can make some really pretty yellow toothpicks from poison ivy wood. I think we have the natl' champ of that one. Cut a 6" d once out in the woods. Now they seem to die before they get 4" thick. ;D I am very funny.

Magicman · October 22, 2013, 11:01:01 PM

I hates Sweetgum, but Welcome to the Forestry Forum, ChrisM.

WmFritz · October 23, 2013, 03:24:36 AM

:D :D. Welcome Chris... keep digging!
There's plenty of treasure here to uncover. ;) ;)

scgargoyle · October 23, 2013, 06:13:17 AM

The Sweetgum Forum is one of those limited access forums, where you have to have a certain number of posts before you can access it. So far, no one has reached enough posts to gain access...... :D

WDH · October 23, 2013, 06:31:08 AM

I cracked the door and looked in there once. It was very hot and humid

. That is the way the Chainsaw Forum started out, too.

ron barnes · October 23, 2013, 09:07:56 AM

Sweetgum makes some beautiful bowls. I have done several but have ran out of my stock. Welcome to the forum.

Claybraker · October 23, 2013, 10:18:01 AM

I've also had good success with a generic version of Chopper, but it's soil active and persistent. Probably not the best choice for a dam if you want some vegetation. The nice thing about Garlon is it won't harm grass, usually.

Interesting trivia about Sweetgum. If you cut one down, it will send up 9 new shoots on average. Just like Medusa. It is truly evil.