Florel for Sweetgum

[Slvrmple72]

My neighbor wants to treat his Sweetgum with a product out of Ca. called Florel to reduce its fruit production but he is having trouble finding it here in Ohio. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Little's]

Try this.
http://www.montereylawngarden.com/info/florel/

 

[Slvrmple72]

Thanks! Repped ya for it! Found a local supplier but with the pricing info from the website will be able to see if he is charging fair.

 

[ATH]

Anybody know if this (or any other product) works on honey locust? The label says:
"...reduce or eliminate undesirable fruit on ornamental trees and shrubs such as: Apple, Crabapple, Carob, Cottonwood, Elm, Flowering pear, Flowering plum, Horsechestnut (Buckeye), Maple, Oak, Olive, Pine, Sour Orange, Sweetgum, Sycamore and others..."

So it sounds like it is worth trying, but if somebody else has experience dictating otherwise, no need to waste money on it...

Thank!

 

[pdqdl]

I have never used the stuff, so my comments are based on what my chemical supplier has told me. I have been scared away from it's use by the spray drift issues. Florel works to prevent fruiting on almost any tree, but there are some drawbacks:

1. The color of the spray is yellow (or so I've been told), and can damage anything it drifts onto, esp. cars.

Read the product label here:
http://www.montereylawngarden.com/pdf/fruit-eliminator.pdf

Read the MSDS here:
http://www.montereylawngarden.com/pdf/florelbrandfruitcliminator-1099-m.pdf

The product label doesn't mince any words about not getting the spray on off-target areas, although the precautionary statements are pretty typical for many "Turf & Ornamental" chemicals.

2. The timing of the application is a bit tricky. You must be familiar with the plant to be treated, and the proper stage of the flowering to get the right results.

3. A strict interpretation of the laws (in Missouri) concerning herbicide applications says that if the target plant is not on the label, then it is a violation of the Federal Guidelines.

"It is a violation of Federal Law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling."

I read the label, and it seems to me that it suggests on the label that it is ok to try on species not listed. I don't think you would get in trouble putting it on a locust tree unless it was on a politically sensitive area, and you generated a complaint to the local herbicide regulators by turning everything in the area yellow.

4. It is essential to get coverage to the flowers on the target trees. This means getting a BIG sprayer and shooting that yellow stuff way up in the air. You had better have a high volume (>= 20 gpm) and high pressure (>=400 psi) sprayer to get over 40 feet in the air.