Locust farm

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Seems like locust is a valuable wood, fast growing, super dense, and rot resistant. I've seen them discuss using it for decking as a replacement for epay on building shows and sounds like a great firewood.

I once teamed up with a buddy on a little firewood selling enterprise- he supplied the trees and transportation, I supplied the labor and marketing. Had a customer complain that the locust load burned too hot.

Anyone ever heard of a locust farm? Seems like a good idea.

 

[D8Chumley]

Too hot huh? Maybe he doesn’t know his wood and loaded the stove with it...

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Too hot huh? Maybe he doesn’t know his wood and loaded the stove with it...

Clearly he didn't know his wood! Honestly, I didn't either, but, was just taken aback, as we were selling for $100 a cord and didn't expect complaints, especially about too much heat. He was burning in a three sided, glass enclosed fireplace, maybe zero clearance?

 

[Paulywalnut]

You have to mix it with something less dense. Locust does grow in groves. You rarely see one growing by themselves. It's a three year season type wood, and will last ten years split and stacked. Once you get going with some inventory it wood be a worthwhile wood to sell. The ones I have grow tall quickly but take years to get any real girth to them.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

You have to mix it with something less dense. Locust does grow in groves. You rarely see one growing by themselves. It's a three year season type wood, and will last ten years split and stacked. Once you get going with some inventory it wood be a worthwhile wood to sell. The ones I have grow tall quickly but take years to get any real girth to them.

Yep, that was exactly the complaint, that we didn't mix in some cooler burning wood. If I'd known, I'd have mixed in some tulip poplar and charged another $100 per cord for the "gourmet firewood blend".

Wonder how many years to get some girth on 'em. Was about 39 years for me.

 

[D8Chumley]

$100/cord for locust? I’m on my way with the trailer brother!

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

$100/cord for locust? I’m on my way with the trailer brother!

It was at least 20 years ago...

 

[D8Chumley]

It was at least 20 years ago...

So... you’re saying you don’t have any more?

 

[Paulywalnut]

Yep, that was exactly the complaint, that we didn't mix in some cooler burning wood. If I'd known, I'd have mixed in some tulip poplar and charged another $100 per cord for the "gourmet firewood blend".

Wonder how many years to get some girth on 'em. Was about 39 years for me.

Ha! Probably about the same for trees.

 

[Paulywalnut]

So... you’re saying you don’t have any more?

Nothing like 20 year aged locust! It's just about ready to burn

 

[Woody Stover]

didn't expect complaints, especially about too much heat. He was burning in a three sided, glass enclosed fireplace, maybe zero clearance?

You can burn a full load, but you'd better have control of the air entering the stove, which he certainly didn't with that setup.

 

[Tar12]

You can burn a full load, but you'd better have control of the air entering the stove, which he certainly didn't with that setup.

You sure can! I fill the BK full with it and I do the same with hedge....nary a problem....plenty of heat and lonnnnnng burn times.

 

[St. Coemgen]

Locust does grow in groves. You rarely see one growing by themselves.

Because locust will propagate by root suckering. If you plant one tree, you will eventually end up with many new above ground stems from the root system around the tree you planted.

 

[CincyBurner]

Anyone ever heard of a locust farm? Seems like a good idea.

While black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) might seem to be a good species (fast growth, on poor/ marginal sites, and durable wood) to grow and to tend on a woodlot for sawtimber - https://www.livescience.com/50732-black-locust-tree-shaped-the-united-states.html it has a some major drawbacks.

It is insect/ disease resistant when dead/ after harvested; however, while growing it is susceptible to black locust borer, a cerambycid beetle that is ubiquitous - https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/ENTO/ENTO-141/ENTO-141-pdf.pdf.
The borer riddles the wood and is a vector for the decay pathogen fungus Fomes robineae - (broken link removed to http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wood/poroid%20fungi/species%20pages/Phellinus%20robineae.htm). The fungus causes extensive internal decay. It seems that in some stands virtually all large black locust have some Fomes.
There are a few minor cultivated varieties ('Purple Robe' is a neat looking variety). It has been planted for land reclamation, as it is a pioneer species that is nitrogen fixing (converts atmospheric nitrogen into form usable to plants in soils).

 

[Paulywalnut]

Because locust will propagate by root suckering. If you plant one tree, you will eventually end up with many new above ground stems from the root system around the tree you planted.

Sounds good if your starting a locust tree farm

 

[toddnic]

as we were selling for $100 a cord and didn't expect complaints,

You won't get any complaints from me! I'll take 5 cords delivered please

 

[heavy hammer]

I know around my area people want nothing to do with it, even people who burn. I have many people say burning it in your stove could damage it. I have farms around me who have been clearing locust groves the last few years. They want nothing to do with it especially the big stuff I have been cleaning up. I think it's the best firewood in the world but if they want it gone who am I to complain.

 

[beardley]

I used black locust as a PT replacement in various places when I built my house. It and white oak are called out in NY building code for use as sill plates etc. We used it for our sills, porch posts, and also as decking. Below is a tread post with the photo. It looked fatastic when we installed, but I never go around to actually sealing / staining before it went gray. I've tried to "bring it back" but I've just grown used to the gray. I think that porch will out last me, and it looks better that the other exposed PT decking I have on one small landing at the back steps. The only negative on the decking is its so darn hard that it becomes a skating rink in the winter. VERY slick.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/black-locust-for-deck.116487/#post-1575964

 

[heavy hammer]

I have a buddy who has a mill, he was in the process of milling enough locust to make a barn. The biggest problem with locust is getting enough straight wood to get boards from. The locust grove I cleaned up this past spring ended up as firewood. The landowners son wanted all the wood to make locust posts but once all the trees were dropped he soon realized there was almost no straight wood. There were about a dozen trees but they were ably able to mill maybe about two. Regardless if you can get lumber out of it, the stuff will last forever.

 

[beardley]

I have a buddy who has a mill, he was in the process of milling enough locust to make a barn. The biggest problem with locust is getting enough straight wood to get boards from. The locust grove I cleaned up this past spring ended up as firewood. The landowners son wanted all the wood to make locust posts but once all the trees were dropped he soon realized there was almost no straight wood. There were about a dozen trees but they were ably able to mill maybe about two. Regardless if you can get lumber out of it, the stuff will last forever.

True story. The guy I got the BL lumber from had a very hard time getting enough for what I was asking for. He did also say he'd never put it through his planner again. He said he went through a LOT of blades making the bull nosed deck boards.

 

[heavy hammer]

Look how hard it can be on your chain just when cutting for firewood. The stuff is tough!