Silver Maple Droplets

[benny05]

We have a silver maple and a neighbor has one too. The droplets are turning our flowerbeds into weed infested stuff and crowding out the flowers. What's the best way to kill them but in an environmentally friendly way that won't break the back or the bank? We also have two pooches who live in the yard, so we have to be mindful of their paws!

[LaurenG]

1. Hi benny05

I have thousands of the little buggers in every single garden and grassless area in my yard. I have been pulling them once they are about 2 & 1/2 inches tall. It's a massive job but nothing else I know about works as well. I have them in my gutters and my compost pile as well. I wish I knew another way to get rid of them but I don't.

[dogindia]

2. I as well have millions. I think the climate change must be stressing them

I have far fewer last year and the year before. I tried eating them. There were not bad but it is time consuming taking the nut out of the flyer. I swept up as many as I could early on and am now pulling as they are large enough to grasp. I actually have a large number of two and one year seedlings which I have not destroyed and even showed some in an art gallery two years back as I was facinated by the willingness to propagate.

Where are you located. I am 15 miles north of New York City.