Growing Black or Honey Locust for "farwud"

[711mhw]

Anybody out there ever tried to grow Locust for fire wood? I have been spoiled, on at our old place [Catoctin Mountains of MD] we had tons of Locust trees growing in the woods on our farm. I don't know about you guys, but I would step over an oak log to get to the Locust! The Locust would get to 'bout 8"-10" and then die! By the time I would go to cut, it all the small scrappy top junk and the bark were gone! Hot and long lasting fire, or the best fence post to be had. I havent seen any on my property and wondered about growing some. I know in MD it grew fast as if I missed an edge of a field brush hogging, the next year there were 3' or taller sprouts naturally started. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Wood Duck]

I'd plant Black Locust. Grows fast and resprouts from the roots when you cut it down (or even before you cut it down). I am not sure how long it will take to get trees large enough to bother cutting. It will grow best in full sun. I am not sure how common wild Black Locust is in Maine, but here in PA you'd probably have it growing wild if you owned an old field or woodland edge.

 

[peterc38]

Your sig says you are in Western Maine, so I assume you are in Oxford, Franklin or maybe Somerset county. Not to say that there couldn't be but I have never seen Black locust in any of those areas, not sure how well it would do.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

It's not native to our part of the country- it was introduced. Locust is a legume, so in organic soil it will make its own fertilizer by fixing nitrogen- that's how it grows a lot of mass quickly and can live on marginal soil.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

Yes black Locust is doing fine here in Michigan. Fast growing.

 

[kestrel]

I have some growing and have thought of trying to propagate them. Does anyone know if its as simple as taking the seeds out of the pods and starting them in some soil or is there more to it than that?

 

[CountryBoy19]

Yes, grows very fast.

Not to mention that black locust makes the best honey you can lay hands on. I love to see the black locust trees blooming in late spring ...

 

[Badfish740]

Interesting idea, but how long until they are big enough to cut? 20-30 years?

 

[firefighterjake]

HehHeh . . . the other day (before our snowstorm) I was at the Penobscot County Jail (picking up signs . . . I wasn't incarcerated) and the ladies at the front desk were asking me what I was doing the week before when I stopped by . . . seemed a number of folks were quite perplexed as to what I was picking up on the sidewalk outside. The answer -- black locust pods -- and lots of them. My grandparents had a single black locust years ago on their property and it did well . . . although I never have seen any other locusts growing there or nearby . . . figured I would try growing a few.

 

[CountryBoy19]

. . . figured I would try growing a few.

Shouldn't have any problems, they're almost like a weed, almost impossible to screw it up.

 

[midwestcoast]

. . . figured I would try growing a few.

Shouldn't have any problems, they're almost like a weed, almost impossible to screw it up.

Just don't plant them close to a house. Between the flowers in spring, leaflets, leaf stems, twigs & seed pods they are perfectly evolved to rain down an endless stream of gutter-clogging crap onto a roof. Ask me how I know...

 

[firefighterjake]

. . . figured I would try growing a few.

Shouldn't have any problems, they're almost like a weed, almost impossible to screw it up.

Just don't plant them close to a house. Between the flowers in spring, leaflets, leaf stems, twigs & seed pods they are perfectly evolved to rain down an endless stream of gutter-clogging crap onto a roof. Ask me how I know...

HehHeh . . . say Midwestcoast, I've heard planting locust trees too close to the house can clog a gutter on a house. Do you know if this is true or not?

 

[Coach B]

The Locust would get to 'bout 8"-10" and then die! By the time I would go to cut, it all the small scrappy top junk and the bark were gone! Hot and long lasting fire, or the best fence post to be had.

Ours gets a little bigger before dying out. Never tried growing them, it seems as if they often stump sprout on our place. My FIL and I both burn and have about burned all of the accessible locust on our place. Burns great, little to no timber value, and will fall over and die anyway unless its out in the open so it's usually first on the list when looking for firewood.

 

[midwestcoast]

. . . figured I would try growing a few.

Shouldn't have any problems, they're almost like a weed, almost impossible to screw it up.

Just don't plant them close to a house. Between the flowers in spring, leaflets, leaf stems, twigs & seed pods they are perfectly evolved to rain down an endless stream of gutter-clogging crap onto a roof. Ask me how I know...

HehHeh . . . say Midwestcoast, I've heard planting locust trees too close to the house can clog a gutter on a house. Do you know if this is true or not?

I imagine mine just grew as a weed. It's about 4' from the side of the house & overhangs part of my roof. I could clean the gutter of that section every 2 weeks spring through fall. >:-(

I just thought of something else. The way I understand it the thornless locusts were specifically bred that way for use as shade trees. Not sure if all the seeds from a thornless tree would produce thornless offspring or if it's a recessive gene thing? Maybe worth asking somebody smart before doing a major planting.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I do go out of my way for locust. Although it is not a tree I would really want in the yard. It would be a good idea to plant some, if you have a sunny enough area and have the time. I am starting to think 20 or 30 years out might be for the next guy, he might not even want to burn.

 

[cptoneleg]

Impossible to screw up I will try to grow some myself.

 

[cptoneleg]

I do go out of my way for locust. Although it is not a tree I would really want in the yard. It would be a good idea to plant some, if you have a sunny enough area and have the time. I am starting to think 20 or 30 years out might be for the next guy, he might not even want to burn.

Dang it 30yrs grow 6-7 yrs season (acording to backwoods) I should have started sooner.

 

[ansehnlich1]

I got some here. There's two big ones a couple hundred yards from my place and they're probably 30 inches or more in diameter.....a storm blew the top out of one just this past summer. I'm 51 and was born and raised here and those locust were there when I was a kid....they're probably a hundred years old or so.

Then there's numerous ones growing a hundred feet from our house, they're maybe a foot diameter, some more, some less, and I'd say they are anywhere from 20 to 30 years old.

It truly is one of the best woods I've ever burned too.

BTW, I'm just over the Mason/Dixon line in PA, real close to the Catoctin Mts.

 

[cptoneleg]

I definantly agree locust is my favorite wood, but I probable wont start a farm.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Give it a try. Locust grows pretty much everywhere and can't be beat for firewood.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I have some growing and have thought of trying to propagate them. Does anyone know if its as simple as taking the seeds out of the pods and starting them in some soil or is there more to it than that?

Around here they're almost noxious in their propagation. I wouldn't think you'd need to do anything.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Interesting idea, but how long until they are big enough to cut? 20-30 years?

They grow very quickly. Even in marginal soil they'd be ready to cut inside of 20 years.

 

[711mhw]

Thanks for the input to all
I have only seen a few (locust) trees around this area, It just may not be the best climate for locust here for the growth that I saw in MD. That's OK I'd rather burn maple and be in Maine than be in MD burning locust!!

 

[CTYank]

. . . figured I would try growing a few.

Shouldn't have any problems, they're almost like a weed, almost impossible to screw it up.

In CT, and maybe elsewhere, black locust is considered an invasive species.

They're almost as hard to get rid of as ailanthus (another invasive.) At least the locust has great wood.

Around here, they are fast-growing.

 

[CountryBoy19]

. . . figured I would try growing a few.

Shouldn't have any problems, they're almost like a weed, almost impossible to screw it up.

In CT, and maybe elsewhere, black locust is considered an invasive species.

They're almost as hard to get rid of as ailanthus (another invasive.) At least the locust has great wood.

Around here, they are fast-growing.

Same here, I counted the growth rings on one I cut down and IIRC, it was 16 years old, but over 12 inch DBH. That's a pretty fast growing tree at 3/4" DBH/year.