I have a chance to get a load of black locust logs. I was hoping to use this wood for winter 2021. How long does it normally take for black locust to season? Any advice you can share is appreciated
If dead or barkless maybe a year if you CSS right away. Id give it over a year personally. Ive never checked year old splits for moisture content and ive heard it can be burned after a year of drying.
De barked split soon & small it may be good by next year. I'd wait to burn it till real winter sets in though.
I have burnt 1 year (and less) BL and it heats the house but it needs longer to reach max output. I like to buck it up and let lay in the weeds for a year so the bark slips off. The beauty of BL is that there’s really no worry of it going punky. I say take that load then order another immediately!
Never turn down black locust. Get it cut, split down to 4", cross stack in a sunny windy place, cover and it will be close by winter.
Just get them and let them sit till the bark falls off. I picked some fresh BL up the other day and the bark is a pita.
I have some split for a year now and I’m waiting one more year before I dig into it. I was doing well on the three year plan, but our consumption went way up being at home all year with the family, so now I am trying to get as much red maple, pine, tulip poplar, etc stacked as I can, so that I don’t go through my 1.5 cord locust too fast. These dry out quicker and should be ready by next burn season. Get the load of locust, for sure, but try to get a load of something else too. It may cost more now, but you’ll get more heat out of the loads you are paying for. pardon if you are already aware, but in the resources section there is a nice list of the estimated drying times and BTU. My locust was at ~24% moisture when I checked it in the last month after a year.
That page is just a guideline. It lists shagbark as 24 months drying time. No way was mine ready in two years time. 3 1/2 years before it saw the inside of the wood stove.
If green it will take a couple years like any other. Now if standing dead with no bark "as others have said" it may be ready to go right after you cut it, one of the only species that will truly dry while standing.
Long dead stuff that looks like this can a lot of times be burned immediately (split and check M/C first!) But with fresh cut, bark on unfortunately you’ve got to play the waiting game.
Absolutely! They’re ready to play ball with today but I’ll add them to next year’s pile. I found several mouse nests in this hollowed out tree.
