I have about 200 black locust seedlings . I planted the seed last fall and they are about two feet tall I planted about 200 of them myself .They make great fence post fire wood or pole for pole barns. They are fast growing trees if anyone wants them I live in south eastern Indiana not far from the Ohio border . Indiana Country Friend Jack Bunyard

-- Jack Bunyard (bunyard@cnz.com), April 17, 2002

Answers

Jack, are these trees OK to put near pastures? I need some fast growing trees to put near some new pastures to provide shade and these sound like they will do more in time also. I am in Ohio directly across from Ft. Wayne.

-- Joanie (ber-gust@pridigy.net), April 17, 2002.

Did you buy the seed? Where? I'd like to have some, but at two feet tall - shipping would be a nightmare.

Nice of you t0 offer to the forum!

-- Judy (JMcFerrin@aol.com), April 17, 2002.

I moved into an area of WI where someone decided to plant black locust. I will admit that they have some good points which include: fast growing, great fence post because they don't rot, good firewood because it is dense, shade, they spread, etc.

But they also have bad points. They have thorns not little ones like on raspberry plants but big one. They spread by underground runners so if you are trying to control them good luck and they also have a tap root so it is nearly impossible to pull a stump. Being dense wood, they dull chainsaws fast and when the wood is dry you can't pound a nail into it. After you cut one down, little saplings grow out from the stump with thorns of course.

I guess it all depends on what you want them for. They might be OK for a pasture, but don't get them too close to yard or garden otherwise you will be in the fight of your life trying to keep them at bay.

Just my 2 cents worth.

-- Vaughn Brooks (brooks@uniprofoodservice.com), April 17, 2002.

A thought and a question I can offer:

We cut some posts with a bow saw a couple of weeks ago, that had been down a while. They were only 4 inches in diameter, but cut easily.

As for the nail resistance, what do you think about pre-drilling where I might want to nail with a cordless drill?

-- Rick in SW West Virginia (Rick_122@hotmail.com), April 17, 2002.

Hello, Locust Lovers:

This is one subject where I shine. I have a whole woods of black locust and two or three honey locusts. DO NOT CONFUSE THE TWO!!!

Black locust has thorns, and not very bad ones, only on the immature wood. They will sprout from the root and stumps. They are a legume and put nitrogen into the ground under them. Cattle and wildlife like to eat the seed and seedpods. The heartwood of black locust used as posts will last 50 years in the ground and the trees make excellent firewood. Once the post is cured it is almost impossible to drive a nail or staple into a locust post

There is nothing good to say about the honey locust. It has thorns on every inch of trunk and branch; thorns that will puncture tractor tires, cattle and horse and human hide. It makes good firewood, splits like glass, but getting past the thorns is a chore. If you cut one down, 25 sprout in its place. Crossbow and several other herbicides will kill locust, so if you cut a honey locust, for heaven's sake spray the stump. If you cut one for firewood, pile the branches and debris and burn it so that the thorns do not lie there in ambush for cattle and tractor tires.

Mac

-- Jimmy S (Macrocarpus@gbronline.com), April 18, 2002.