I hate our buckeye tree. I take that back, I love the tree and the shade that it provides, but I really, really dislike the buckeyes.
When we moved into this house it was winter, and we got to see the trees bud and the glory of nature in springtime and blah blah blah it was breathtaking, and then in fall this tree dropped these shiny, chocolate-brown orbs that were so smooth and satiny, I gathered them unto me and put them in a glass bowl to display on our dining room table.
Where they promptly got moldy.
Since then, I’ve come to realize that these nuts are one of the reasons our yard is so crazy bumpy, and I curse them each autumn. Stupid, beautiful buckeyes. I’ve thought about going out there and sucking them up with a shop vac, or paying a child a penny each to pick them up, but laziness always wins and I curse them from the comfort of my living room.
Brad, however, has done us a huge favor by changing the backyard area. Now they are easier to spot, and I might even gather them up to burn them or something, but I have a question: Brad, can I use the shells as ‘mulch’ by those lambs’ ears or will they do harm?
I always heard buckeyes were there to bring you much luck and prosperity. You were to rub them together and carry them around in your pocket. Never had any to rub together much. Maybe you should give it a try or maybe it is another old wives tale.
This sounds like either an inexpensive Christmas present or a care package. Either way I think you have a plan for what to do with them! 😉
If only buckeyes had a natural enemy. …like if sloths ate buckeyes, you could keep one in your back yard and it would eat them all.
There’s no problem with using the shells as mulch.
I have been lurking around here a bit since I was looking at your pie in a jar recipe that was linked from another site. You could actually make a fortune off of them if you lived in Ohio. Ohio State fans are willing to spend 10-15 dollars on necklaces made of them sometimes with scarlet and gray beads added, and I’ve never had them mold.
Great! This has the makings of child labor.
And here’s plan C! Perfect!
I’m going to need your address, Ashley. I’m not joking – send an e-mail.
I think you have to dry them out first. Then the mold is a non-issue. Of course, in our house, I’ve seen aluminum mold.
So. You have a moist house?
Who’s lowering the resale value now, Mr. Blabbermouth?
I’ve never had a good comparison for the lump on my head. Golf ball-too big…pitashio-too small. Buckeye is perfect. Thanks!
While buckeyes are beautiful, I can imagine how much of a pain they are to clean up. My first house in Seward had a black walnut tree in the yard. I’d rake those balls up and shovel them into a bucket, and used leather gloves. By the time I was done, the fingers and palms of those tan leather gloves were stained black.
Now I have to rake/clean up sweetgum tree pods (gumballs), which are the plant world’s version of a porcupine. You can’t even walk barefoot in our front yard because of those little gems.
We have APPLES under our trees. What to do with them!
I had a buckeye once…