How do you tell if locust is seasoned?

The wacking two pieces together works but a mosture meter is better.

I got some black locust this year standing dead covered in vines... Read 25% and under a few days in the sun and the color chaged and showed tons of cracks in the end. Last week I got a mixed load of stuff that blew down, box elder and locust.... The black locust was half as light as the box elder which i knew was green. And the black locust was standing dead. Split open the locust and it was 17% for most of it... Still greenish in color but some bark was off.

Also my dad has been mainly burning black locust for years... His yard is full of standing dead stuff. The bark has stayed on tight to 2 year stuff. Also has fallen of stuff split 6 months prior. I think alot has to deal with time of year its cut and split.

So my thought is color and bark never give a great picture but can help in guessing... The stuff that was 25% had roots under the bark and the bark peeled off with the vines easy.

I also got a small stove put in about 1/2 way through winter my first year with no good wood. Spent the winter fighting 25%+ black locust. Took forever to get going and left the box full of coals... What a waste of good wood. But burn it hot and do what you have to.. Till you can get ahead.

I have access to a lot of fallen dead Black Locust, no bark or loosly hanging bark, not much standing dead, center of fresh split 17% - 20%, fresh splits pale yellow to brown look really dry...

albert1029 said:

fresh splits pale yellow to brown look really dry...

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It's fun finding some that has been lying around dead for so long that it's brown when split.

Pennsyltucky Chris said:

BL goes from Green to Manilla when seasoning. You need 2 solid year of seasoning to burn it. Stack it away for another year, and buy more ash. Or start getting your own. That way you always know it's dry.

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I got locust that was down for 26 years. Cut in 12" lengths and split. Beautiful Manila color as you say but wasn't ready to burn until the following year!

Usualy, the bark doesn't pop off mine until two full summers after being split.

I had some locust that I split in May. I did the poor man's solar kiln and shrink wrapped it all summer. It's good to go now. I'm not sure how long ago it was actually cut and sitting in rounds but less than a year I think.