Locust Trees are Nasty

[japody]

Around here we call the locust trees "sticky bushes" because of the thorns. They will puncture a tire in a heartbeat. That's why we cut and burn every one we see. SIL stepped on one some years ago. Wasn't pretty!

 

[JerryK]

Where I used to live I had honey locust trees in a field. They grew from the roots and were HARD to get rid of... Cutting the 'tree' down just pissed them off and made them decide to make new trees everywhere... had to take roots and all...

 

[Garandman]

Related to the topic only vaguely, but back when New England mills and factories were powered by water, most of the works made of wood.

Know what was used as the bearing material? Locust.

 

[MossRoad]

I have close to 10,000 locust trees on our property. I have heated our home with wood for the last 6 years. Locust is the best firewood I have found. It burns longer and more completely than anything else I have tried. Very complete burn with very little ash. It doesn't rot, even when laying on the ground for years. It makes great fence posts IF you can drive a nail into it! It wears out chainsaw chains very fast. If you saw it in low light, you can see sparks flying out of the wood. I had a pile of it laying on the ground like telephone poles for about 15 years. Only the bark had rotted off. It was still hard as a rock. One piece of it weighs about 50% more than a similarly sized piece of oak. The splitter complains about it, too. It is really a very useful wood. You could probably sell it or give it away and have someone else do the work of removing it.

 

[rswyan]

It's only "trash" as long as one remains unaware of what it is that one actually has ...

Black Locust Lumber, U.S.A. - Black Locust Lumber Home

I - like Moss - have some growing on my property here. I wish I had more. I've also got a few Black Locust "poles" that have been laying on the ground in the woods, right on the edge of the yard ... that have been there for the last 10 or 15 years.

BTW ... if you disturb the ground and roots (close to the surface) where black locust trees are growing, you can expect a bumper crop of ... (wait for it) ... new black locust saplings the following year ...

Ask me how I know this ...

 

[KentT]

If the black locusts are of any size (6" or larger), I'd strongly recommend that you cut them and stockpile them somewhere. Trim the limbs off while they're green, then pile the trunks up somewhere out of the way for later use. Locust is far stronger than oak for structural use and will outlast PT wood and perhaps even creosoted wood such as telephone poles or railroad ties. We're talking 25-50 years in ground contact. It's great for "landscape timbers" or fence posts or... I've known people who've built retaining walls with it, while green, by drilling holes and pinning it with rebar.

It is a waste to just burn it as brush or refuse. It's too good for firewood or other uses to just waste it... JMO

 

[rswyan]

If the black locusts are of any size (6" or larger), I'd strongly recommend that you cut them and stockpile them somewhere. Trim the limbs off while they're green, then pile the trunks up somewhere out of the way for later use. Locust is far stronger than oak for structural use and will outlast PT wood and perhaps even creosoted wood such as telephone poles or railroad ties. We're talking 25-50 years in ground contact. It's great for "landscape timbers" or fence posts or... I've known people who've built retaining walls with it, while green, by drilling holes and pinning it with rebar.

It is a waste to just burn it as brush or refuse. It's too good for firewood or other uses to just waste it... JMO

:thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

One thing I'd recommend if you're going to stockpile locust logs.... lay down two or more logs as a base, then stack the poles across them. The reason? The locust logs are so heavy they'll sink into the dirt! I spent three hours on a chainsaw on locust today.... my arms hurt! :laughing:

 

[Cherokee140]

I have so many black locust trees it is not even funny. If someone wanted to buy them I would GIVE them away just to not have to deal with the things. Thorns longer then my finger, they will go right through the most tough boots I own, Tires have zero chance. And they grow like weeds. The poster said they just get pissed if you cut them down....they sprout "baby" trees like crazy, and I mow them every week. I have seen roots bigger then the trunks. Check out my day in the life thread in the Kubota section, just about every tree you see is a black locust tree....they are amazing.

It is a very fast growing tree and has very hard wood but there is where the good ends. Someone may make stuff out of them and that is all well and fine, but unless that company wants to come to my property and take trees that are 100' tall they are still pest trees and will be cut down and burned.

 

[Garycw]

If there are any sizable pieces, that is some of the best firewood there is. BTU per cord is one of the best and very little ash. I love the stuff!

I 2nd that. It's some of the best fire wood there is. It burns like coal and almost as hot. The thorny smaller branches are the pain.
When burning in wood stove or insert, be careful not to over stoke. It will warp your firebox. I found that out the hard way. I once had to open the doors in winter to cool the house down it got so hot inside.