Black Locust tree usage...

skruzich · #21 06/19/06, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MELOC

skru, i think a planted post will be far better than a rooted tree. unless you let the trees grow forever. the roots will rot away faster than the planted posts.

if you want a hedge/fence consider hawthorn or osage orange with no wire, just the thick hedge. hawtorn has got to be the nastiest stuff known to man.

Yeah i love hawthorn, got them growing here. planted them along the property line to keep the *#)_$_ renters away. It actually works.

Oxankle · #22 09/28/10, 09:47 PM

For goodness sakes do not plant honey locust on your place if you can avoid it.
You can ruin tractor tires with the thorns and the trees are dangerous to work with even if you want to cut them for firewood. Worse, if you cut one down you wind up with a forest of sprouts. Kill them; spray with herbicide and rid your place of them.

Black locust is another matter. Only the juvenile branches have thorns, and those are inoffensive little things. Black locust will sprout from the roots if the tree is cut, just as will honey locust, but if you cut in a pasture the cattle will eat the sprouts and control them.

In summary, Honey Locust BAD, black locust GOOD. I pulled a half dozen trees out of the woods today for winter firewood. Green they cut very easily, dried they are excellent firewood. The poster who stated that black locust bark was good kindling was right on the mark; it is among the best fire starting tinder available.

Black locust makes excellent fence posts too, but I would suggest taking off the bark and curing the posts for a while before using. I have seen such posts still good after fifty years in the ground,
Ox

FarmboyBill · #23 09/28/10, 10:04 PM

Hey Chuck Did u cut HL or BL? IF BL Would u mind if I came over and gathered som seed pods and see if I could get them to start next spring?
Thats all we had when i was a kid. We never skinned them, and I rather imagine thats a hard job to do, as the bark grows close to the wood. I dont remember haveing any trouble putting steeples in them if u could hit one 6 times right. As to the origional post. Id say, they need to be bigger than 4in. Id say doubler that would be good fore a barn. But if you use them. AND you side the barn so that the posts are out of the weather and insects, youll have them laszt longer than u will less storm or lightening or fire hits it. I built a chickenhouse here 30yrs ago out of oak posts, With the posts securly covered, The house is standing solid as a rock. Built brooder house same way. AND the wood sideing came off of 2 houses that were on lots my FIL bought, and the houses were OLD.

TnTnTn · #24 09/29/10, 03:44 PM

Oxankle got it right-excellent correct info. The honey locust has the big branching thorns-don't know about durability. Black locust has thorns also but sort of like big briar thorns on the young branches and young trunks. I have a bunch of black locust on our place and use it when I put in a post that I want not to have to worry about again. Maybe the kids will have to worry about it. I always peel the post and it is pretty easy to do if you do it right after cutting. I you wait till it dries then it adheres pretty tight and then you have to wait for a couple of years for the bark to slough off naturally. It grows fast and we have a bunch from sapling size to 10-12" diameter. It is heavy and HARD. TTT

big rockpile · #25 09/29/10, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverbackMP

In Missouri, the ones with the thorns are called black locust and the ones without are honey locust.

Black Locust has small thorns,a greenish Heartwood. Honey Locust has 3-8 inch thorns and isn't much good for anything but Deer Love the Seed Pods.

big rockpile

Tricky Grama · #26 10/01/10, 08:02 PM

We have both black & honey locust on our property. I thought it was the honey that produced all the seed pods...we have maybe a kazillion. If anyone wants any I'd be glad to mail a bunch. PM me if you want them, you can mail me back the postage am't after you get them.

Patty

Allen W · #27 10/02/10, 02:02 PM

Black Locust http://www.noble.org/WebApps/PlantIm...&PlantTypeID=3
Honey Locust http://www.noble.org/WebApps/PlantIm...&PlantTypeID=3

nc_mtn · #28 10/02/10, 06:35 PM

I just put in some locust post.... here's to 100+ years????

Paul Wheaton · #29 02/13/11, 12:31 PM

I interview Alexandra King, Brian Kerkvliet and Mark Vander Meer about how awesome Black Locusts are.

Good fodder for ruminants, excellent bee nectar, the best wood for outdoor furniture, fence posts, pole structures, and the handles for many tools. Fast growing and tolerates all sorts of awful conditions. And one of the very best firewoods.

http://www.youtube.com/paulwheaton12#p/u/0/du9LeeYX1o8

fishhead · #30 02/13/11, 01:19 PM

I've got what I think is honey locust. I gave some away to a guy who was going to make bowls and lamps. It's also good for musical instruments and furniture. It's got beautful honey colored grain.

My goats love the leaves. My honey supplier came over and set up a bee hive. He said that the honey was clear and flavorless.

Paul Wheaton · #31 02/13/11, 01:23 PM

To tell the difference between honey locust and black locust, i usually go by the pod size. Honey locust pods are usually something like eight to twelve inches long. Black locust pods are usually about two inches long.