Ganghwa County Cracks Down on Autumn Stench with Ginkgo Fruit Removal

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] Ganghwa County announced on the 8th that it has launched an early harvesting operation for ginkgo fruits, the main source of foul odors on streets in autumn.

The operation targets 589 female ginkgo trees that bear fruit among 2,285 street ginkgo trees on 8 routes including the Coastal Road and Ganghwa Avenue, with plans to complete fruit harvesting by the end of this month.

The work proceeds using vibration harvesters that shake trees to drop the fruit. Since ginkgo fruits ripen at different times on each tree, harvesting must be done 2-3 times even on the same tree.

Although ginkgo trees cause discomfort due to autumn odors, they offer many advantages as street trees, featuring beautiful fall foliage while being highly resistant to pests, diseases, pollution, and drought with excellent survival rates. They are also highly effective at absorbing carbon dioxide and purifying the air.

A county official stated, "We will do our best to resolve the inconvenience to residents caused by the distinctive odor of ginkgo fruits and create a pleasant pedestrian environment."