Jon, do you recall what time of the year you cut them? My neighbor claims if you cut black locust after August 20th, they will not suck back. I have no facts to back his claim up but I might experiment using his method this summer on a few select black locust trees along the roadway. Thanks Oh, and that snow in the fields is fresh. We got about 3" last night but it is melting fast,,,
I don't think Honey Locust sprouts off the stump like those Black, at least I don't remember them doing it back when I had them on my place.
I like honey locust I have 5 planted in my yard they growing like gangbusters they don't have those horrible thorns
My brother in law stopped today when I was cutting in his mothers woods. He was checking up on my little cutting project. I had left two big Mulberrys standing where I had taken down every Black Locust. "Why didn't you take them?" he asked. I said I agreed to cut Black Locust only. He goes back to his truck and whips out a 24" Stihl and drops em! Of course I promptly bucked em up. I couldn't believe how heavy they were. I had to go home and get my ATV ramps to roll em into my trailer. I could NOT pick them up. I cut 16" and they both had about 35-38 growth rings. Man, my back is killing me,,,
I love burning mulberry. Not many people around here want to burn it, so it usually gets pushed into burn piles. Other people try to pass it off as hedge... I have 2 1/2 cords drying, in the fall they were at 25%MC...should be ready for next winter, but I don’t have to burn it until 19/20.
My Black Locust cutting project is done for now.I am out of 41% RoundUp and bro in law hasn't provided any more. Start my part time job driving tractor for another neighbor Thursday. I fit the ground he plants. Have not made much of a dent in mother in laws 2 acre "infestation". Will get back to it this fall. What I have done so far will satisfy the DNR guy I hope. Mostly Black Locust but in there somewhere are two Mulberry, one Elm, and one Black Cherry. Ended up with a pile of rounds 48 feet long. I estimate somewhere between 7 -8 cords once I get it split. Will split it this winter in my shed. This wood will not get sold til 2019,,,
That's a lot of work. Have you thought of opening up the woodlot to local woodburners? Sorry if that's an obvious question. Thanks for the pics.
Yes. I am working on a back up plan as we speak. Down the road from me is an Amish. He has an outdoor wood burner for his greenhouse business. I have contacted him and he is very interested. IF the DNR guy tells me I am not making enough progress, the Amish guy is going to bat clean up. My nephew is also interested in some but he is a wood snob and only burns Oak. Black Locust burns darn hot IMO but he is young and has a lot to learn about all the tree species.
That's not being a wood snob, turning down BL, saying he only burns oak, that's ignorance. BL has more btus than any oak, and that BL will be totally dry in 2 yrs while that oak will have to sit 1-2 years longer in the stacks.
It would be funny if another member posted a thread entitled "BL Score!" then goes on to describe how he hit the jackpot from someone trying to clear out 2 acres of Black Locust. Of course, he'd have to have missed this thread...which is pretty much impossible.
I use Alligare (61% Triclopyr). Herbicide is like prescription drugs...there are 'generics' out there. 70% diesel, 30% herbicide. Haven't met a tree yet that it won't kill. Can use without diesel if not needing to penetrate bark. Or can hack/girdle and squirt. Most that I kill are live standing trees (mostly Ailanthus), but it will basically annihilate any plant it comes in contact with.
Any update on this project? Quite a bit of interest of late in Black Locust and by now you should have knowledge.
Sure. I have cleaned out about 1/3 or maybe half of the black locust grove in mother in laws woods. The big pile I showed in the pics is gone. I sold half of it and am burning the rest in my wood stove. Her grandson last fall bought a used outdoor wood burner and wants all the firewood he can get. We all know why - they (OWB) have a voracious appetite. I have passed the torch to the grandson. I am going to concentrate on my 40 acre woods and some of mother in laws other properties and grandson is going to finish the black locust project. He has been given explicit instructions to treat the cut stumps so they don’t come back. My observations to date conclude that straight 41% Round up or the generic equivalent poured on the cut stump has done a wonderful job in keeping regrowth to a minimum. Happy with the results so far.
