• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

How to utilize my black locusts

 
Posts: 8
6
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hey y’all! First time poster, long time voyeur

I have on my new property a fair amount of locust. Pretty much all of them were harvested at some point. So I have varying sized trees that are mostly from suckers off the main harvested stumps. Should I cut all the but the largest suckers to encourage thicker growth of a single main branch? Or perhaps I should leave a number of them?

Thank you for any help!
030FC944-11A5-4939-A3AE-FA53E1343710.jpeg
[Thumbnail for 030FC944-11A5-4939-A3AE-FA53E1343710.jpeg]
 
pollinator
Posts: 561
121
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If you burn wood for heat, they are an excellent wood lot tree.  They sucker quickly and prolifically, as you observe.  The have a high heat content.  My advice would be to make bio char out of them, if you are not using them to heat.  Be careful with livestock around them.  The leaves have a toxin in them that is bad juju for animals.  

My understanding is they will take a lot of abuse.  Cut them all the way back and they will re-gen, as long as the roots are well established.  I think they are hard to kill, as they are a pioneer species.

Welcome to the forums.
 
Rama Malinak
Posts: 8
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If I continue to cut all but one of the suckers, can I encourage a single thick trunk, or would I get more efficient biomass growth by just letting it do its own thing?
 
pollinator
Posts: 184
Location: Colrain, MA, USA (5a - ~1,000' elev.)
19
 
Jack Edmondson
pollinator
Posts: 561
121
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Rama Malinak wrote:If I continue to cut all but one of the suckers, can I encourage a single thick trunk, ...?



Nothing wrong with leaving a central leader to for a trunk.  The tree will be healthier for it.  Keep cutting the scion and it will continue to produce copious suckers.  
 
pollinator
Posts: 814
Location: Appalachian Foothills-Zone 7
202
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If there is a market for rustic funiture, porch railings etc in your area, the suckers might grow out to the appropriate size in short order.  Might be worth checking into.  I know of a buyer that wants specific sized wood, but pays well for it.
 
when your children are suffering from your punishment, tell them it will help them write good poetry when they are older. Like this tiny ad:
permaculture and gardener gifts (stocking stuffers?)
https://permies.com/wiki/permaculture-gifts-stocking-stuffers
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic