Thorny Locust tree

Richard · Aug 23, 2001

Have a couple and father in law wants them out. Says he would "hire" me (and Brutus) to take them down. I said instead of paying me anything, he could pay for my flat tires! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Any secret to taking them out?
any merit in cutting them where they stand and simply burn them? (they are in middle of field) That way we don't drag thorns all over the farm.

Any way to simply torch the tree while standing so we don't even have to cut it down? (I can't see any myself..other than a gas bath /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif)

Richard

TerryinMD · Aug 23, 2001

Sounds like a job for Mr. Chainsaw and a funeral pyre!!

No other recourse?? We had one on our property and it died. It was on a rock outcroping and did not interfere with anything.

WoodDawg · Aug 26, 2001

Cut the trees now before they spread. I bought some land that was neglected for 10+ years, and those trees had spread everywhere. The small ones I just bush hogged. The 5 - 10 inch ones I cut with a chainsaw and pushed them into a burn pile with the loader. I have cut well over 200 trees so far, and have many more to go. So far no flats, I got the R4 tires just for that reason. I was hoping they would be more puncture resistant than the R1's, and so far they have been.
Good Luck!

Hillbilly · Aug 26, 2001

I have several locust trees on my land,a lot of them are large in size.They are excellent for fence posts and make (in my opinion) the best firewood you can get.They do spread a lot as ,cattle love to eat the leaves.No other tree can lay on the ground for years like a locust and not rot,I love to cut them for wood,you do not have near as many branches to deal with,it burns clean,long and hot. The bark makes excellent kindling.

Jag · Aug 26, 2001

Richard, let us know how it works out... There is no way I would want to work my tractor around my "thorn" locust. I have had at least 2 flats this past year, with me tring to stay away from them... some of those thorns are at least 9 niches long. I must have 20 or so good size trees that I will push down this winter and use for fence posts, fire wood and burn the rest. I have heard that they can be very hard to get rid of... Keep us updated.

Hillbilly · Aug 26, 2001

I am curious about the type of locust trees you have, do you know what species of locust they are,I have never seen a 9" thorn on a tree of any kind(not to say that there isnt any)we have what we call "crab apple trees" and they might have a 3" thorn at best.
The locust trees we have when the trees are small in size they have a thorn about 1" long,then as the tree grows,instead of thorns they have what I would call big briars.

Wal · Aug 27, 2001

Hillbilly,

You sure those crab apple trees aren't washington hawthorns?

Hillbilly · Aug 27, 2001

Well,
I do not know,I never heard of "Washington Hawthorns" the apples on them usally do not getting any bigger than a ping pong ball,the trees may get as high as 15' and are kind of a crooked little tree,with lots of thorns protruding.

TerryinMD · Aug 27, 2001

If these locusts have very long thorns say better than three inches and in clumps, you have a Honey Locust. As far as I know, they do not reproduce like the normal locust tree.

Hope this helps.

Jag · Aug 27, 2001

HB, TinMD, yes these are referred to as Honey Locust. Also heard Black Locust. Me, I am not sure what to call them but #@!!#**Shi#,#sonobitch@!!#**....... And anything anyone can tell me how to get them gone would be much appreciated... HB if you would like to see some thorns I will be glad to sent you some, as I have a lot more than I would like...

TerryinMD · Aug 27, 2001

Can't attach a picture, musta been senior citizens moment!!! Look at these two URLS.

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/ODNR/Education/ohiotrees/honeylocust.htm
http://www.domtar.com/arbre/english/p_feepi.htm

Edited by TerryinMD on 08/27/01 11:53 AM (server time).

Jag · Aug 27, 2001

Hillbilly, if you would email me your address I will send you a set of thorns... They are very impressive if you have never seen a set...These trees top out about 30-35 feet and have a long thin seed pod up to about 12 inches that looks light green or golden and then turns black... They have few limbs and do make good fence post, heard they will last about 6 months shorter than dirt, also good fire wood as the burn long, hot and leave little ash....

Hillbilly · Aug 27, 2001

I may do that.No chance of them reseeding eh? LOL, those sound like monster thorns to me,no wonder you do not want them around where you drive your tractor(or anything else with pneumatic tires)I bet they would be hard on bare feet.

Best regards Jag!!

Anonymous Poster · Aug 27, 2001

I bet they would be hard on bare feet.

I don't know about the feet but I once got jabbed pretty deep in the arm while brush cutting and within an hour my arm curled up with my finger tips touching my shoulder! Went to the ER for a tetnus shot, the doc was a city guy and had never seen a thorny locust thorn and asked me to bring one in for him to see. Hurt like the dickens.

PitbullMidwest

JonLeonard · Aug 27, 2001

A cousin of mine had one go completely through his foot. The are definately nasty, so use extreme caution around them.

Richard · Aug 27, 2001

Anyone know if they can be easily pushed over with backhoe?

I really don't like the idea of walking around there with "Mr. Stihl" to deal with the tree. If their root system is NOT like a cedar, I'd just as much want to back up to it and push it over, push them onto pile and flick my bick.

Richard

BXmark · Aug 29, 2001

I got 3 acres of the blasted things-- had to fill all my tractor tires and trailer tires-- everything pneumatic with Green Slime.
My friend steped on a thorn bare foot and it went through the cartliage on her big toe. The thorn are extremely hard. She had to have it surgically removed.

TerryinMD · Aug 29, 2001

I don't know if any of you looked into the URLs I posted, but they mentioned that the "oldtimers" used the thorns as nails!!!

Ouch /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Devildog · Aug 31, 2001

Richard, We had plenty of locusts on our lot just pushed another one over last weekend, I will be cutting and splitting it this weekend, and as stated earlier they do make great firewood, When burning they put off awesome colors but pop a little, Just cut and split them while there green, cause if you let them season its like cutting petrified wood. They are also the trees that farmers like most for posts. They take forever to rot. Ours dont have thorns that big but when topping and chipping up the brush we definetly wear leather gloves. Hope this helps.
____________________________________________________
Take care, Jim

1951 John Deere B (poppin johnny)
Semper Fidelis

WoodDawg · Aug 31, 2001

I can see how people used the thorns as nails. Here is a pic of one I pulled out of my tire. Lucky it was the little thorn on the side and not the long part that stuck in my tire.
Mark