Honey Locust Tree

[ponytug]

I have seen folks use an excavator to push them over and pop up the roots with a ripper attachment. If you go the dozer route, I would use one with a forestry ROPS. I wouldn't want limbs coming at me.

Personally, burning them while they stand sounds like a recipe for things getting out of control, but I have no experience doing it.

But, yes, definitely a tree from a horror flick.

All the best,

Peter

 

[buck12]

I push the small ones over with my tractor and use the grapple to move them to the burn pile. For larger ones, I cut them down and make as few cuts as possible to get them where I can move to the burn pile with the grapple.

 

[MoKelly]

I push the small ones over with my tractor and use the grapple to move them to the burn pile. For larger ones, I cut them down and make as few cuts as possible to get them where I can move to the burn pile with the grapple.

You can do this without getting flats on your tractor?

Are the trees still alive or dead?

MoKelly

 

[ovrszd]

I'll jinx myself here. I've taken out dozens of Locust trees and never had a flat. Various methods used based on size. Alive and dead.

 

[MoKelly]

I counted last evening. We have 1 dead locust standing (it’s 30 feet tall) and 8 more very much alive and growing.

So, not an emergency.

The last one we cut up and burned where it fell. That made it more doable. No way I can transport those beasts anywhere.

By the way, it’s snowing here right now. 38 degrees.

And we had 2 college tennis matches scheduled.

Mother Nature creates locust trees and makes it snow on April 20.

MoKelly

 

[MoKelly]

I'll jinx myself here. I've taken out dozens of Locust trees and never had a flat. Various methods used based on size. Alive and dead.

Hopefully no jinx. I’m sure you just know what your doing way better than me.

I can find 6 - 9 inch twigs from those trees 10-20 feet away from the tree. I assume the wind breaks them off and blows them away.

The largest spike I’ve seen on a twig away from the tree was 1-3/4 inches. Sharp as a needle.

MoKelly

 

[ponytug]

I counted last evening. We have 1 dead locust standing (it’s 30 feet tall) and 8 more very much alive and growing.

So, not an emergency.

The last one we cut up and burned where it fell. That made it more doable. No way I can transport those beasts anywhere.

By the way, it’s snowing here right now. 38 degrees.

And we had 2 college tennis matches scheduled.

Mother Nature creates locust trees and makes it snow on April 20.

MoKelly

Yup, this storm is supposed to set low temperature records across the Midwest.

Do you coach tennis? Just curious what you do with college tennis.

Have you considered making fence posts or ground contact beams out of the honey locusts? (Personally, I would love to have honey locust posts instead of the copper pressure treated posts that we have. The pressure treated posts rot out in seven years or less here, which is about the lifetime of copper pressure treated posts in this area.)

All the best,

Peter

 

[turnkey4099]

I like your thinking!!! I didn’t think of a dozer. Interesting. Thanks!

MoKelly

The problem with the trees, as you know is the thorns. Unfortunately, no matter how you handle them the thors coms off and get scattered around the work area. No way to clean them up.

I planted a row of shademaster honey locust back about 1980. Those are a thornless variety, About 20 years later I noticed that one of them had reverted to type and had the thorns. I died the same day of chainsawitis. I was still getting flats off of that small sapling sizedd tree 10 years later.

 

[MoKelly]

Yup, this storm is supposed to set low temperature records across the Midwest.

Do you coach tennis? Just curious what you do with college tennis.

Have you considered making fence posts or ground contact beams out of the honey locusts? (Personally, I would love to have honey locust posts instead of the copper pressure treated posts that we have. The pressure treated posts rot out in seven years or less here, which is about the lifetime of copper pressure treated posts in this area.)

All the best,

Peter

My wife and I are tennis officials for fun. So, we officiate men and woman college matches in St. Louis. She also runs USTA tournaments for juniors and some UTR events that I officiate.

It’s an opportunity to do work together and have some fun.

We have maybe 2 inches of snow on the grass right now - nothing in the concrete or street. Still snowing heavily - huge flakes.

I’ve not thought about posts. That is a great idea. There is a guy a few roads over with a mill. I’ll talk to him.

Thanks.

MoKelly

 

[Diggin It]

Rent your place out as an artillery range?