Score! (Ithink...)

[NickW]

So you guys who get a lot of locust chime in here... What are your experiences with locust rounds stored in less than ideal conditions?

Just found another contact for free wood. Got a load of honey locust rounds today. He said it had been cut about 5 years ago, but I'm guessing longer. Randomly piled in a shady area. Some of it seems like it might be a bit less than solid, but some seems pretty good. What is iffy will fo on the softwood pile... We'll split and stack it this week.

 

[Diabel]

It does not look like honey locust to me

 

[PA. Woodsman]

It does not look like honey locust to me

You are right, I don't know what it is but it is a moldy mess for the most part. I would split it all up, keep what looks good and throw the rest in the recycling center or in the woods, wherever you can get rid of it.

 

[red oak]

Locust would still be good after 5 years more or less. That’s not locust though. There may be some good wood in there. If you need it get what you can but be prepared for some of it to be punky. I’d take it and throw the pinky stuff in a pile for campfires but I have hoarding issues.

 

[NickW]

Well now I'm curious. I don't have much experience with locust, so maybe I'm wrong about the species.

First photo is bark on one of the scrounged pieces, second is the split from one of the good chunks (appears good is few and far between after doing some sample splitting), third is the trunk of what I thought was a honey locust in my yard, fourth is a stem and leaf from my yard. The split is redder than expected, I though honey locust was more yellow. It almost looks like maple... I've got 6 or 8 tree's in the yard and I did a species test online to figure out what they are and it said honey locust. They occasionally get a couple of pods but have no/few thorns, so I thought they might be a thornless or hybrid variety. No leaves yet this year, but you can see in the last pic they are itty bitty elongated oval shaped on the little twiggy stems that fall off in fall. Probably at around 20 leaves per stem.

 

[Diabel]

Your last pics, could be HL. Split wood looks like it, and the standing tree too. The first set of pics, with falling bark off sure does not look like HL.

 

[CincyBurner]

It does not look like honey locust to me

I was thinking same. Possibly elm ?
Your second batch of pics (2 through 4 are honeylocust).

 

[NickW]

The split in #2 came from one of the rounds in the pile. I think it was laying there longer than he remembered. It was all from 1 tree, all had bark but it peeled off as we moved it. Some of it that was not as shaded or was up off the ground is a little better. Judging by my sample splits, I am guessing I am looking at mostly shoulder season wood if I'm lucky...

 

[WoodBurnerInWI]

So you guys who get a lot of locust chime in here... What are your experiences with locust rounds stored in less than ideal conditions?

Just found another contact for free wood. Got a load of honey locust rounds today. He said it had been cut about 5 years ago, but I'm guessing longer. Randomly piled in a shady area. Some of it seems like it might be a bit less than solid, but some seems pretty good. What is iffy will fo on the softwood pile... We'll split and stack it this week.

I wish locust were a bit more common/easier to find in WI. Since moving to Madison, I've had no luck in getting locust from my tree guys. And the place west of town where I drop trees for firewood has no locust either. However, when I lived in Poynette from 2013-2017 I was able to get locust wood from a farmer who I think was cutting up field trees he wanted removed to make room for more cleared land. He would sell it by the cord for around $100 delivered to most of the Poynette and Lodi area. I was lucky to take advantage of his locust deals and was well stocked in the past.