# How long must Locust be seasoned?



## JA600L (Dec 2, 2013)

A guy I work with told me to burn it green... That doesn't sound right? Can you burn it green or must it be properly seasoned like everything else?


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## Applesister (Dec 2, 2013)

I think your coworker was goofing on you.


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## albert1029 (Dec 2, 2013)

don't get much green locust, get the dead fallen ones that were nice after one year, better after two...some really old ones I've found as low as 17% in the center after a fresh cut...I've seen people here say that one year in optimal conditions would work even on the green stuff...but yeah, it should be seasoned...


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## Missouri Frontier (Dec 2, 2013)

I've heard some of the old timers around my area say the same thing. I think locust is one of the better(and hotter) burning green woods. But, just because it will burn green doesn't make it optimal or safe(especially in a cat stove). Season 1 to 2 years and the heat output will increase greatly. Light off will be faster and your chimney will stay sparkling clean. 
Dang, I sound like an ad for toilet bowl cleaner.


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## jatoxico (Dec 2, 2013)

2 years in my neck of the woods minimum. My neighbor told me the same thing as I watched his chimney spit filthy black smoke. And oh yeah his plain jane open fireplace heats his whole house no problem , lots of physical realities cease to exist on that side of fence .


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## Sinngetreu (Dec 2, 2013)

jatoxico said:


> lots of physical realities cease to exist on that side of fence




My new favorite statement!


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## firefighterjake (Dec 3, 2013)

Just about all wood will burn in your woodstove if you expose it to a hot enough flame for a long enough time . . . but will it burn efficiently and cleanly and not gunk up your chimney with creosote . . . well, that's a whole other story.

1-2 years for black locust.


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## Bigg_Redd (Dec 3, 2013)

JA600L said:


> How long must Locust be seasoned




Till it's dry.  

Hope this helps.


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## Jags (Dec 3, 2013)

One of my favorite sayings at work "just because you can - doesn't mean you should".


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## PA. Woodsman (Dec 3, 2013)

Black Locust is like someone said one of the drier "green" woods, Honeylocust is much wetter, but yes they should all be allowed to dry out. I heard the same thing about Black Locust as well as Ash that it's okay to burn green and that to my mind is just crazy.


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## trguitar (Dec 3, 2013)

It depends on the tree.  I cut some black locust November a year ago, and tested it with the moisture meter right after splitting it.  It was under 20%.  This was a mostly dead tree that had come down after a storm.  (There were some live branches that sprouted from the trunk last spring.)  I didn't need the wood, so I have let it sit CSS for the last year.  I haven't taken a reading this year, though, but I will be burning it this winter.

Standing dead or dying black locust is often very dry and can be burned immediately.


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## red oak (Dec 3, 2013)

Pretty much anything that ends with the phrase "can be burned green" is bad advice.  Locust included.

Now my FIL took down a very large BL that had been dead standing for several years.  Once split those pieces were ready to burn right away.  But if the tree is cut live (green) let is season split and stacked for a full year at least.


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## Jon1270 (Dec 3, 2013)

The USDA says black locust averages 41% MC green, but also notes that MC in all woods is "extremely variable."


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## etiger2007 (Dec 3, 2013)

Two years once split to get the most out of it.


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## Brewmonster (Dec 3, 2013)

I've cut some standing dead locust that was about 15% MC and burned great. For green wood, though, dry it like anything else.

Everyone's heard from the wise old toads who say that you mustn't burn dry locust (or osage or ironwood) because _it'll melt your stove_! These sages often prefer greener wood because it burns longer. Sure, buddy, whatever you say.


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## oldspark (Dec 3, 2013)

JA600L said:


> A guy I work with told me to burn it green... That doesn't sound right? Can you burn it green or must it be properly seasoned like everything else?


 
Ya you can do it, you can also piss into the wind if you want to.


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## albert1029 (Dec 3, 2013)

i love this thread...


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## pen (Dec 3, 2013)

Have about 95% locust to burn this winter.  Been waiting 2.5 years in the stacks for this.  Just for the heck of it, I let some aside in different stacks to burn after the 1/2 year mark, and the 1.5 year mark, waiting till now (2.5 years) was well worth the wait.

Never had this much locust to burn at once before.  One observation is that I've seen higher stove temps with what appears to be less flame action in the stove.  Point is, what looked normal through the glass window was actually a stove hotter than I usually take it in several cases early on. 

It's great fuel, but seems to burn a bit differently on it's own than the other hardwoods in the area I'm used to (ash, maple, beech, cherry)

pen


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 3, 2013)

JA600L said:


> A guy I work with told me to burn it green... That doesn't sound right? Can you burn it green or must it be properly seasoned like everything else?



For sure and you can also burn white ash as soon as it is cut because there is no moisture in it. And you dare not burn pine else your house will burn down. 

Well, you can believe all the baloney or you can make wise decisions. Burning green wood, no matter what it is does not make any sense at all. Give wood time to dry and you'll get more heat from it, won't have problems getting the fire going or keeping it going, won't have dirty black glass and you'll solve about 99% of all wood heating problems. There is no good substitute for dry wood.


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## Missouri Frontier (Dec 3, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> For sure and you can also burn white ash as soon as it is cut because there is no moisture in it. And you dare not burn pine else your house will burn down.
> 
> Well, you can believe all the baloney or you can make wise decisions. Burning green wood, no matter what it is does not make any sense at all. Give wood time to dry and you'll get more heat from it, won't have problems getting the fire going or keeping it going, won't have dirty black glass and you'll solve about 99% of all wood heating problems. There is no good substitute for dry wood.



Sage info Dennis.


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