THIS UNIQUE CREEK HOMESTEAD LISTING includes organically grown and harvested, naturally sun-dried SEED PODS!
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HOW DO YOU GERMINATE SWEET GUM SEED PODS:
Sweet gum seeds require a period of cold stratification to germinate. This is easily accomplished by inserting the seeds into a plastic sandwich bag full of slightly moist sand, sealing the bag and leaving it in the refrigerator for three months. Check the bag periodically and moisten the perlite when it feels dry.
How do you plant sweet gum seeds?
Sow two Sweet Gum seeds in each container. Press them onto the surface of the peat mixture. Spread a very thin, 1/16-inch-thick layer of coarse sand or pine straw mulch over the seeds. Moisten the sand to settle it.
Sweet Gum Tree SEED PODS Witches Burr Organic Naturally Grown
What are sweet gum balls good for?
Often used to fill jars and bowls as filler for decorations, in craft projects, to protect flowers and other plants from critters whom do not like to step on the sharp, spiked balls.
The infertile seeds of the sweet gum ball contain shikimic acid, which is also contained in the same tree used to make Tamiflu. These trees are also ideal for reforestation projects because they grow quickly and are resistant to insects. The wood is great for timber because of its gorgeous interlocked grain. The seed pods are often used in crafting projects or placed in jars and as bowl fillers for decoration. The spiked balls can be used as plant defense in the garden as many critters, esp raccoons, do not like to step on the spiked balls.
"Witches Burrs" are associated with protection because they are seed pods that have evolved to grow these spikes to protect the next generation of the plant.
They are said to keep negativity away, bring good luck, be used in breaking curses and hexes, and keep unwanted company away from yourself and your home.
In a way, you can kind of think of it like black salt, grown from the earth, as they work very similarly.
Are sweet gum trees good for anything?
Sweet gum trees have various medicinal uses. Their fruit is effective against rheumatic pain. The bark has astringent properties and addresses dysentery and diarrhea. Gum resin from the trees has anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties and has been used to treat bedsores, topical herpes and angina.
Do any animals eat sweet gum balls?
The fruit does provide food for forest animals such as squirrels, wood ducks, white tailed deer, mourning doves, beavers and birds. They are fast growing and resistant to insect attack which make them useful in land reclamation and reforestation projects. The Sweet Gum Ball Tree is also a very popular timber wood.
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Sincerely,
Scott & Melissa
Unique Primtiques Custom Woodworking
Unique Creek Homestead