Yesterday's Score... Black Locust

[goofa]

Friend had this tree cut down and they saved it for me. I blocked it all up yesterday and now to move it to my property. The tree was pretty much dead and had quite a bit of center rot..but anyways a lot of good free wood. The wood does not feel very dense to me probably because it was basically dead standing. It's not "punky" it just feels rather light. Will this still be a decent first experience with BL When I get to burn it?

 

[Richie]

Yes. If it was standing dead, it might be ready for the stove this year. It does not look like it was standing dead for a very long time being that the bark is still attached however.

 

[Woody Stover]

That it "does not feel very dense" is a good sign but that stuff doesn't look real dry in the pic. If you can let it sit in the stack for a year, do it. If not, don't split big and hope for the best.

 

[NordicSplitter]

Are you sure its BL??? That bark looks very think. Reminds me of the bark on big Cottonwoods or Sassafras

 

[goofa]

Yes it is a prickery thing lol

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Are you sure its BL??? That bark looks very think. Reminds me of the bark on big Cottonwoods or Sassafras

It looks like BL - I had to check when he said it didn't feel very dense - In my experience BL doesn't feel a lot lighter when it's dry.

 

[Richie]

Yeah that is BL 100%.

 

[Woody Stover]

Are you sure its BL??? That bark looks very think. Reminds me of the bark on big Cottonwoods or Sassafras

It looks like BL - I had to check when he said it didn't feel very dense - In my experience BL doesn't feel a lot lighter when it's dry.

Hmmm, the "not dense" statement is troubling. I don't think it's Sass...inner bark doesn't look orange enough. Could be Cotton, though. A good closeup of the end grain should tell the tale...

 

[midwestcoast]

You must've just been extra strong yesterday . Probably adrenalin from the first BL score!
My experience is same as Redd's. Not the heaviest wood when wet, but just doesn't have as much water weight to lose.

 

[Richie]

Yeah, try hefting green red oak. Twice as heavy as green BL.

 

[Bret Chase]

Hmmm, the "not dense" statement is troubling. I don't think it's Sass...inner bark doesn't look orange enough. Could be Cotton, though. A good closeup of the end grain should tell the tale...

it's locust. period.

 

[Bret Chase]

Yeah, try hefting green red oak. Twice as heavy as green BL.

that it is.... me and my dad split up some 2'X16" red oak rounds... the rest are still at cordwood length... talk about fricking heavy! I could have got the rounds onto my horizontal splitter.... but there would have been a cost.... to my back.

 

[red oak]

Definitely black locust. I cut some last fall with my father in law that was dead standing - it was so dry most of it was ready to burn right then and there. It's possible that may burn great this coming winter.

 

[gzecc]

Pile of BL is a distinctly beautiful thing. Like fine aged bourbon.

 

[Applesister]

It was heavily infested with Locust borers. It might have led to its demise. If you have healthy locusts on your property maybe you should process the tree where it is currently sitting to leave as many bugs there as possible. I would normally rake up and keep as kindling the small stuff on the ground but if you find larvae under the bark maybe do something like burn it there. That tree was heavily infested. Some people here say it takes 2 years for Locust to season but I think of it as a 1 year wood. Be careful with that, it feels light but it burns hot.

 

[Woody Stover]

it's locust. period.

Definitely black locust.

Yeah, I shoulda looked a little closer at the first pic; The smaller splits on the right have that 'braided' bark look, that's pretty unique.

it feels light but it burns hot.

I walked out there and hefted some splits that are now into their third year...bone-dry but still heavy.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Nothing like dried seasoned BL. Most don't wait until it's really ready. Like gzecc said. Let it age.

 

[goofa]

And last Friday I scored another 6 Face Cord of ashSo this will put me at roughly 31 Face Cord split and stacked.. not doing too bad.

 

[goofa]

This is the nice ASH score I got

 

[D8Chumley]

This is the nice ASH score I got

I have one in the middle of my yard about that diameter I'll need to take down soon. Its got that green stuff- I assume ash borer disease- all over it and the tops are breaking off. I don't want to get hit in the melon while cutting grass. Nice score!

 

[Applesister]

This is the nice ASH score I got

Thats an amazing size for an Ash tree. The ones growing here must be babies. Like 30 yrs old. So I looked at the pictures and it looks like the tree stump is in the second photo. Did you process the tree where you dropped it? Or did you move everything? And is that your back yard? or a field that this tree was growing in? Was the tree dying? Not leafed out? or was it healthy..just not growing in a convenient spot?

 

[bobdog2o02]

Looks just like a real big poplar a took two years ago, poplar up here is the same as cotton wood south of Here.

 

[Applesister]

I have no black locusts and very few Ash in the woods. The Ash grow in the open fields, Green Ash, and just like the cottonwoods they follow drain tile ditches and the low areas where water sits after rain. The roots share the same soil. I have wondered if the farmer and homesteaders before him harvested all the locust off the land. Three houses down the road and Locusts line my neighbors driveways.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I have wondered if the farmer and homesteaders before him harvested all the locust off the land.

They very likely did but BL is a very robust species. Even if every BL was felled the roots will still send new shoots and the seeds are prolific and can sprout after long stretches of time. Once BL is established they are quite difficult to be rid of.

 

[Woody Stover]

Looks just like a real big poplar a took two years ago, poplar up here is the same as cotton wood south of Here.

Yeah, that looks like Tulip from here. Does it have green or purple in the heartwood?