WHAT TO DO WITH LOCUST TREES

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I have purchased about 80 acres of land in Missouri that has many large locust trees (thorn trees 1’ – 2’ in diameter & 100' tall). A friend says they are a nuisance and I all I can do is ring the trees, wait a season for the thorns to fall off then bulldoze them into a pile and burn them. I have heard they burn too hot for a wood stove because of their high oil content. Do they have any value on the farm? Uses? I would like to use them for something vs just destroying them.

Thanks,

-- MW (MDWOOD@BEIENGINEERS.COM), November 26, 2001

Answers

http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/alert/alrtcera.html : I did a search and found several interesting links. None have great news, unless you have ersosion problems. I always thought locust was good for fence post, comments?

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), November 26, 2001.

A little tree identification book I have says they are very rot resistant and make excellent fenceposts.

-- AyleeAnn (AyleeAnn@hotmail.com), November 26, 2001.

fence posts or raised bed borders,, anything you would use wood for,, that you want to last a LONG time

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 26, 2001.

Every tree has a value, at least as a tree. Anything that will burn also potentially has value. And something that grows fast, as those do; and will give a lot of heat, sounds to me like it ought to be invaluable in a place with the climate I understand Missouri has. It must just be a matter of getting set up the right way to use it. I'd certainly get another source of information - say agriculture extension services, or state forestry, or some such.

If nothing else, I'd think about those ceramic Scandinavian or Russian ceramic stoves that are designed to have a really hot fire once or twice a day, and then spend the rest od the time just giving out the stored heat. Alternatively, buy a stove or furnace that can take coal - if it can take coal, it ought to be able to take anything any wood can do.

You said you'd bought land. Does that imply no home? If so, it sounds like you have a source of durable lumber; and I understand locust is a fairly fancy-figured wood. I also understand that once dry it's hard to work, but you don't have to do all the working dry - you could do most of it green, on-site, with a contract sawmiller. Again, if nothing else, you could cut the things and then use them as rough lumber to build barns, workshops, garages - whatever. It's beginning to sound more like a Godsend to me, and a crime if you just burnt it in waste-piles. I think I'm right, but I'm definitely right about one thing - get advice from your tax-paid professionals, and any other professionals who will give it to you free.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 26, 2001.


Many of the split-rail fences in NC's mountains are made w/ loctus. They last longer than cedar. It's expensive around here. Contact a local lumber yard. Please don't burn them!!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), November 26, 2001.


Yeah, they are a nuisance. They also make great fence posts. :) Sure as heck don't destroy them for nothing! Do you absolutely need to clear them out or can you leave them? 100' trees don't grow overnight---you might enjoy having them on the place.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), November 26, 2001.

Hey, Are we talking black locust or honey locust. Black locust makes a great fence post. The honey locust is great fire wood but we could have paid for the tractor several times over from the tire repair bills these things cause (big nasty thorns 2"-3" long)

-- scott (sbitzer@columbus.rr.com), November 26, 2001.

"Thorn tree" is Missouri slang for honeylocust...it is not rot resistant, doesn't make good posts, burns so-so (don't know about oils?) and can quite easily make a field non-traversable by rubber tired equipment. I happen to like the tree myself, but then I'm a forester. Everyone else in the state hates it :( For the condition you describe, a bulldozer with follow up spraying of root suckers and seedlings is probably your best option if your goal is to reopen the fields that the trees have taken over for purposes of cultivation. I can point you to the forester for your county or go the Missouri Department of Conservation homepage at

http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/

and check in the forestry section.

If the tree is Black locust (small rose-like thorns, profuse white blooms in spring) then the other posts about firewood and such apply. Honeylocust has a multitude of forked 3-6" thorns on the main stem making even basic chainsaw girdling a challenge.

-- Susan from MO (smtroxel@socket.net), November 26, 2001.


You might want to do some re-checking on info about the locus burning too hot for wood stoves! From what I understand, Black Locus comes in second to Oak for hardwood used/burned in woodstoves. We live in MD and find our blk locus are just great in our stoves. :-)

-- dottie (mamaduck@webtv.net), November 26, 2001.

don't just waste good wood, if anything have a logger pay you for them. We burned seasoned locust fine, mix it with other kinds if it burns too hot for you. It's harder on saw chains but not real bad. Split it when it's green with a hydraulic splitter if you can. The trees make great timbers and posts. We never had any problems with the trees.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), November 26, 2001.


yeah Dottie, I found black locust great for 'overnighter' logs.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), November 26, 2001.

Honey-locust, while native in western New York only, has been widely introduced as a hedge and ornamental tree, and is hardy and scattered through the state except in the mountains. The wood is hard, strong, coarse-grained, but not so durable in contact with the soil as is the black locust. Not so? Very little difference, a catch 22.

Yes, I find this to be true. However I do put both locust to ground. I am at present cutting 4" X 6" X 8' timbers of Black Locust, Osage Orange and Honey Locust with my band saw mill. These timbers will be the earth contact foundation post for a 42' X 64' wide pole utility barn. All earth contact will be of those three species. The rest of the framing, girts, purlins, truss and pole extenders will be of red oak. Some will be extended to 25 feet.

Contact me and I may be of service to you as bandmill and I are portable.

As fire wood the Locust is in the number 2 spot. Osage orange is number 1.

With 80 acres in Missouri you have troubles on the horizon. The problem is several red and/or black oak trees are dying. These should be salvage as quickly as you can arrange it while there is still value.

JR

-- JR (jr3star@earthlink.net), November 26, 2001.


JR, that problem is mainly in Scarlet and Black oak in the southern part of the state. Red oak borer has infested already declining trees. White oaks aren't affected or as affected. Oak wilt can be a problem in some areas but is usually just in pockets and also limited to the red oak family. Where in Missouri is your 80 acres MW?

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), November 26, 2001.

We have honey locust trees, and also like to use them in the woodburner, day or night, mixed with our maple and oak. Another use- - roast the pods and grind for a coffee substitute. I read this in a Native American practices book and keep missing the gather time. Has anyone ever tried this?

-- Dawn (olsoncln@ecenet.com), November 26, 2001.

Hi,,back where I am from,,WV,,and surrounding states,,we use Locust trees for fence post,,they are the best as they do not rot out as fast as other wood..last for years..without any special preparation.

Locust should be valuable for other type projects where a enduring wood is wanted. Perhaps even take to woodmill and have boards made or make into post and sell or keep for your own use as years go by. Seems such a waste to just pile them together and burn.

perhaps get on internet,,and search for wood and uses of,,etc.I know you will find something other than just burning them up,lots of good suggestions on forum,,,Take care,,Patsy

-- Patsy, MT (cozyhollow-gal@care2.com), November 27, 2001.



An old farmer neighbor of mine says if you put a locust fence post in a stream it will last one day longer than a rock. Don't know if it's accurate but it's great farm lore. Anyway you get the idea-it lasts a real long time.

-- linda skountzos (skountzos6@netscape.net), November 27, 2001.

Locust make the best fence post you can find. They will last for years.

-- ll (lanelynn@hotmail.com), November 27, 2001.

In my tree class I think the instructor said that It makes good animal feed, I think.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), November 27, 2001.

We've burned honey locust and black locust in different types of wood stoves for 20 years. Because of the oils you can throw it right in the fire green. Definitely better when seasoned, but not too hot by any means . The only wood (except for evergreens which are a definite no no) around here (north MO) too hot for a wood stove is SEASONED Osage Orange or "hedge" . We've burned it green plenty of times. Just have to watch your flue for creosote build-up with any green wood.

-- Eric Davis (errikd59@netscape.net), November 28, 2001.

As stated above, Black Locust is all around better then Honey Locust. The pods are supposed to be edible (cooked or raw unknown), & can be fed to livestock. But I wouldn't recommend it(unless you grind them first to crush all seeds). If fed to stock, you will find yourself with some Locust seedlings growing in the pasture. Some of the seeds from the pods will just pass through the animals & root on the spot (thorns galore causing damage to equipment (mowing pasture) & animals both).

Before you try to cut/bulldoze/& burn them yourself, I recommend you contact some logging companies & see if they want to buy them from you. If any of them do, you better make sure you know who is doing the work. If they cut & haul the trees your price will be lower then if you cut them yourself. Some won't give you a choice (they want it cut special) & will insist they do it all. In any case you wouldn't be just burning them, but makeing a profit & the job may even get done faster so you could do other things with the land sooner.

Good luck

animalfarms

PS. Please bare in mind that Locust trees (any kind) are legumes, so they fix nitrogen in the soil like beans, peas, clover, etc... So this area (after roots are moved just deep enough so as to not destroy your plow) can be very good for crops. And if you don't have a house on your land yet, these locust trees (if they are black locust) might be a good choice for building with (specially if you are building a cabin).

-- animalfarms (jawjlewis@netzero.net), November 28, 2001.


I have been trying to get a few black locust trees started here. Nice ornamental, good for fences, but the goats LOVE them. Everytime someone gets out of a pen they head staight for the locust trees and cream them. Oh well it saves my roses! There are ads in our local paper of someone willing to buy specifically locust wood. I don't know what the going price is though.

-- Terri in NS (terri@tallships.ca), November 29, 2001.

Dad put in some locust fence posts when I was a kid in the early 70's. They are still standing. They last practically forever!

-- Michael Nuckols (nuckolsm@wildak.net), November 29, 2001.

I have a fence line along one edge of my property with Black Locust posts that were put in over 60 years ago. I don't know if you have any in your area but Wild Turkey's love the seed pods.

-- paul (treewizard@buffalo.com), December 01, 2001.

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