Black locust is a GREAT nectar/honey source for bees. So if you're keeping bees for honey production, they are worth having for that.
@darongw5 жыл бұрын
Only issue I have is that often people only seem to recommend black locust for temperate food forests. There are other nitrogen fixing trees that can be coppiced or pollarded that are better for soil building. Several types of alders for example are great for this and will fix nitrogen at a higher rate than locust will. There is even an alder here that grows as a shrub giving some nice options when a tree does not work. Plus, alders rot much faster making them great for soil building and they fix nitrogen at a higher rate than locust. But if you want the rot resistant building material or great fire wood then black locust is a great choice. I would grow enough locust to provide the wood I need and then I would pick other utility trees for soil building since in that case you want the wood to rot quickly. I plan to use a mix of alders and maples to get quick biomass plus nitrogen from the alders. All trees I can pollard or coppice. I may plant a small locust grove to provide a good wood supply for my homestead. Still figuring out my design--taking time to observe and work on my water systems.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for adding this layer of thought onto this. I should have gone into that in this video, but wanted to keep the focus here. By all means, Black Locust is just one of many very legitimate plants that can do good work in early succession. Other excellent N-fixers to explore: River Locust (Amorpha Fruiticosa) Goumi Honey Locust Seaberry Autumn Olive Alders FOR SURE! Groundnut (for the vining layer) So so many more... Black Locust is just one ingredient in a rich and diverse design, and may very well be inappropriate as the choice in many contexts (the thorns and suckering habit can be really incompatible with land use for folks). Thanks for reminding us of the wider lens here!
@Dollapfin5 жыл бұрын
EdibleAcres have you done a video on groundnut? I’m very interested in it. Seems like a perfect survival plant to me and the high protein levels are good for someone who doesn’t eat much meat plus I love the flowers.
@aron89493 жыл бұрын
Alders and maples done even compare to black locust ability to grow in degraded, polluted and drought stricken lands.
@matts3729 Жыл бұрын
Black locust is extremely adaptable to poor soil and dry soil. Alder is not.
@kwajrod5 жыл бұрын
I love Black Locust. It is native to the region I'm from(southeastern USA), so I grew up exposed to it. With a little proper management(mostly just not leaving it unmanaged after root disturbance/pollarding/coppicing), then it is well-behaved. The flowers in spring are stunning and smell like heaven. The bees will love and appreciate you. It casts a beautiful, light, dappled shade that doesn't adversely affect most plants. It also fixes nitrogen in the soil and shares it with nearby plants.
@bryanburke79472 жыл бұрын
Iv got a small farm in Kentucky. Its been passed down threw the family for over 90 years. An old run down barn that was built in 1928 with black locust....Its very strong too this day. Locust can last longer and stay very strong.
@davidbass75935 жыл бұрын
They were popular in years past used for fence posts because the wood took a long time to rot
@brokenroadhomestead6095 жыл бұрын
They still are.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
We use locust posts extensively for projects. For really long lasting rot proof posts you want much older wood. The logs I showed towards the end will be great for top elements of a trellis and such, but not super rot resistant in the ground until they develop more heartwood...
@sage09255 жыл бұрын
I was told by a neighbor that it used to be called ironwood.
@davidbass75935 жыл бұрын
Mayavata when completely dry they are hard as a rock almost impossible to drive a staple in
@sage09255 жыл бұрын
@@davidbass7593 Yep. My woodpile this year includes a great deal of it. Some of it is as hard as a brick. It's kind of hard to get lit sometimes, so we start our fires with pine, and throw the BL on once it's going good.
@plumberlance5 жыл бұрын
Great for bees too. One of the first flower to go to necter.
@weihuafan13654 жыл бұрын
black locust flowers are delicious to eat. pick them when they are just about to bloom or just bloomed the same day. A simple recipe is mixing the flower with a flour/egg coating and make a pancake. Another recipe is coat the flowers with flour and steam for 5-10 minutes, dress with soysauce and sesame seed oil. you can also steam the flower then sun dry them for longer storage. very nutritious and delicious.
@OfftoShambala2 ай бұрын
Thanks for this… I’m looking for regenerative firewood for my property. Being able to dig up & replant suckers, is a real plus. And I need mulching material and shade as well. But, good to know about the shoots, as I sell and recommend plants to people. Appreciate all you’ve done, sharing your knowledge. I just bought an off grid acre w a shack. Gotta get some trees in and get my earthworks going for planting the water.
@davej74585 жыл бұрын
A lot more accurate information about how to use black locusts and what results expect. With pictures of the results, very good.
@judahjackson95062 жыл бұрын
Awesome video! I appreciate you for sharing your wisdom, it was helpful to understand how to manage the sprouts, turning what many consider a negative into a positive🙃
@edibleacres2 жыл бұрын
So happy to share
@paulmurphy6125 жыл бұрын
They make good trunnels for timber frame construction too.
@tomfool435 жыл бұрын
I have a lot of BL here in Serbia and I agree with all you say. My only gripe is with the way it burns, or rather smolders, always too many sparks compared to my favorite firewood, wild plum, but the locust makes much straighter poles and posts, so wins from that angle. Have you tried making hiking poles from it? I made one from a branch a little under an inch in diameter from which the bark had begun to rot off. It didn't need much straightening and when I sanded it down and oiled it, the outer sap wood went a lovely toffee brown, and the thorn knots really popped out, they look like eyes with a darker 'pupil' and a much lighter ring round them - really nice effect, and a light strong stick.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
I think Black Locust needs a TON of time to really cure down and then it's an amazing firewood. We have some stored for 2 years and are excited to have it for firewood this winter :)
@luciduous3 жыл бұрын
Love this overview of Locust. I have rediscovered locust from being allowed to harvest one that fell a few years ago. The grain was so beautiful and hard. I am used to looking for oak and walnut, as that is more prevalent to find around here, and I mostly cut for firewood these days. Anyway, I couldn't believe how little I knew of the tree and have fallen in love with it. I saw your video on root prop. of locust and will try the technique. Thanks for the great content!
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
Definitely have learned that mid to later spring is the ideal time to take root cuttings, and we will take them and put them in a well drained soil in a container that stays in a high tunnel or other very warm space for a bit to help stimulate growth before planting out. Worked well and now we have 7' tall shoots in ONE YEAR!!!
@timothylongmore7325 Жыл бұрын
I've got a pretty good patch of bl going. I'm going to pollard my first patch this winter. I do some basket weaving and these shoots look very interesting for weavers.
@edibleacres Жыл бұрын
Sounds great!
@CovilleR5 жыл бұрын
Nice! Just picked up a buncha locust lumber. Thanks for the infos. Seems like a great farm tree as long as there's a farmer to tend to it. Without that management, its fierce reforestation at least seems a lot better than the aftermath of using and then neglecting other sources of fuel and materials.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
It is just important to know what it will be doing in the landscape once actively in it. I consider it an asset and with hand tools it can generate a ton of useful mulch if spreading into unwanted places, but until the next layer of succession really pushes up and over it to hold it back it can be a bear.
@aron89495 жыл бұрын
Black locust will be my prime pioneer tree in northern nevada! I feel sorry for people who do not understand how to manage these trees and are scared to plant them. I also feel sorry for the people who trim their plants and throw the trimmings in a can. So sad.
@teflTeacher2 жыл бұрын
We use black locust as recommended in this video too, but in the second line of the garden alignment. The first line is its "warrior" cousin - honey locust tree (gladitsia triacanthos). It is the best defensing fortress against the unwanted visitors as well as windbreaking natural system. We love all locust trees. They are great allies in all respects.
@HinduBoy3 жыл бұрын
Have a lil thicket out back. Thx for the tips. On generating shoots poles / bow / handles (for some Ax / shovels)
@AB-zf6me4 жыл бұрын
I was inspired, and dug up some roots and trees the other week. The trees appeared dead, BUT, we are seeing green coming up.
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
Next time it makes sense to DEFINITELY wait until dormancy season in the fall or early spring, but maybe they'll put on new growth and do well for you!
@AB-zf6me4 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres if in fall, would you grow in-doors or in a greenhouse?
@wudangmtn2 жыл бұрын
Great info. I am just starting to plant my fruit orchard, and I definitely plan to include black locust.
@radjenthakoer16825 жыл бұрын
Thank you for rhis very useful information. We had shoots of this tree and saw them as "weed". Now I will use them to benefit our small food forest in France.
@makeitkate32403 жыл бұрын
Looks like you’re in a rainforest! Thanks for the great info!
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
It can feel that way sometimes
@XoroksComment5 жыл бұрын
The wood of black locust is also suitable for making bows. So is Osage Orange. I know an archery instructor that swears by Osage Orange bows, but he says black locust is pretty good.
@johnpetrucci25903 жыл бұрын
9:50 did you say that you eat the flowers? I read that they are toxic.
@valley36215 жыл бұрын
Excellent video!
@sempi81595 жыл бұрын
Great video! Thanks for the knowledge.
@loganv04105 жыл бұрын
Excellent vid - warts and all of a potentially valuable plant Thanx
@jeffperry92745 жыл бұрын
Yellow and Black locust both make very good fence post if you strip the bark off the poles back locust is a little bit better in my opinion but yellow is very very good as well.
@jameskniskern22615 жыл бұрын
You mentioned chop and drop for soil building. I've found that the branches take a long time to break down on the soil, making other chop and drop of weedy material difficult. So... I use much of my black locust small branch material as biochar feed. I make a cheap sheet metal kiln, and char it down. I then add it back to the soils I want to have high carbon content. But, I only put it on top of the soils. The worms do the rest. Thanks for the video.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
That seems like a great technique. I'm comfortable having it take a while to break down as we have branchy mulches all over the place.
@przybyla4205 жыл бұрын
My workaround for that is to lop everything up into short sections: twigs can be longer, then shorter and shorter with increasing diameter. I cut the material while on the tree bit by bit when possible so you don’t have to bend down or use one hand to hold it. When it’s too big for clippers, I either add it to a pathway border, cut it into firewood, or building or garden material. Everything that’s no good for that goes in brush piles in the shade (brush piles in fields here turn to brambles and you can’t mow).. Once the brush has sat a few years you can pull it apart, collect rotted wood duff/fungal innoculents, and re-pile what’s left. Yes I’m OCD when it comes to chopping and dropping, but I’ve found this system to be really efficient.
@Dollapfin5 жыл бұрын
James Kniskern the smallest pieces should be free of heartwood. Should break down relatively fast.
@Dollapfin5 жыл бұрын
James Kniskern Have you seen the worms actually till the char in? I hate tillage and I know those worms go deeper.
@jameskniskern22614 жыл бұрын
@@Dollapfin yes. Worms and other critters mix the charcoal bits into the soil. It takes a while but it sure works. I also keep piling on other organic materials on top of the charcoal.
@rosehavenfarm2969 Жыл бұрын
Two black locusts planted themselves in our orchard. We love them. We dig up the suckers and plant them out and about, the latest being along a fence line. We like the fact it has thorns, useful for keeping pests out, of the four- and two-legged kind . Regulations in our county allows for only 4 foot fence around our orchard. Our response is to plant thorny friends along the fence: black locust, honey locust, siberian pea shrub, climbing roses, and rugosa roses. We will keep them at just the right height to discourage the deer and other parts (mentioned above).
@blackwolf073 Жыл бұрын
Im wanting to do the same. Do Siberian Pes Shrubs have thorns?
@Regboy5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this useful info...we are planning a living fence of locust x Osage orange and are intrigued to see how the two work together. Hoping for a fast growing thorny barrier which will eventually provide fire and polewood...going to try dense catalpa planting on a northern edge for windbreak/privacy and more nitrogen fixing and useful wood (catalpa has worked beautifully in cordwood construction ). ...happy planting!
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
Sounds like some nice ideas there. I like Catalpa a lot, it's such a fast and beautiful tree.
@georgecarlin26564 жыл бұрын
You have a very dense and beautiful forest, it probably attracts all kinds of bizarre forms of life, do you have leprechauns?
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
I haven't seen many but I'll keep my eyes out! :)
@skippy55063 жыл бұрын
Cool video, I just took a whole heap of black locust cuttings, it’s got so many cool uses 😁
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
I'm not sure if those will take as cuttings but certainly worth a shot.
@skippy55063 жыл бұрын
One or two are putting on new growth so fingers crossed 🤞 I took thicker parts whilst it was still dormant thinking it’d be the same as my stone fruit 😅
@edscukas96893 жыл бұрын
I’m deciding between planting some of these and the royal empress trees (or maybe a mix of both) I’m in zone 8 and the purpose would be to grow organic material quickly to keep up with growing need for mulch and material to rebuild my soil (old pine timber tract that was clear cut) . Woodchips aren’t as easy to get. And where I live people burn their leaves instead of bagging (it’s awful). so In a sense of becoming self sustaining and not relying on if.how to get organic material I’m looking to grow and source my own organic materials. I’m also planting white clover throughout my pathways to harvest as mulch and to use as material in the chicken coops, fodder for the chickens and many other benefits clover has.
@_brandon_15084 жыл бұрын
Nice! I absolutely love black locust trees! There used to be a ton of these trees in my neighborhood but we’re all wiped out by our electric company because they were afraid that they would fall and cause damage to power lines due to the trees brittle wood... but anyways on my street we lost 11 very old pine trees for the same reason because they were all within striking distance of power lines so I went up and down the street knocking on peoples doors and asked them if they would like to have these pines replaced and I got approval from all of them to plant a tree on each of their properties! The species I have selected will be mainly black locust, cottonwood, silver maple and Jeffrey pine but I am most excited to plant the black locusts, the reason being is because they are gorgeous and so fast growing so the loss of the old pines will be ugly and sad for now the locusts will quickly make the area beautiful again! Also these trees will be planted as far away from the power lines as possible so that the trees won’t have to be topped or removed but close enough to the road that it’s created a canopy over the road since the power lines are only on the left side of the road
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
Hopefully there can be some trees that make food in that mix, too!
@_brandon_15084 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres yes! There will be eventually, for now I’m working replacing the 11 pine trees first because now that there gone there is a lot of open space and it’s not pretty right now but it will be soon!
@AdaptiveApeHybrid3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this content. I love these trees!
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
They are great.
@talkinghead2004 Жыл бұрын
I have many large, black locust trees on my property. Many have fungus on them and are dying. I cut down about seven last week. I now understand the there is a pesticide that helps defeat the locust borer (carbaryl or seven). I am wondering, however, if it is too late to use the pesticide once the fungi appear on the tees. If it is not, I'd love to see a video on how to apply the pesticide. (I gather that it should be applied in August - September when the borer is active, so I missed out for this year.) I lost all my ash tree some years ago to the emerald ash borer, so it is really disappointing to see the locust tress now going.
@davej74587 ай бұрын
When you cut a tree high to pollard it how high should it be cut if you expect to eventualy have large goats browsing the area? When you feed the foliage to animals do you just drop it on the ground or is there a better way to feed when in a pasture?
@hhwippedcream2 жыл бұрын
Plant material as fodder is nice too.... Would be great for a goat silvopasture at a certain point in their development. I would also recommend honey locust. Black locust is also very much a short lived tree (at least when you look at taxa where I live in oak savannah).
@hhwippedcream2 жыл бұрын
So grateful for your honest take on these traditional species. So many people forget that overgrowth of species is due to under use and under management. If you prune before the seeds, one should do quite well.
@edibleacres2 жыл бұрын
Appreciating your lens with all this, thanks for sharing with us all!
@Drebnau-L9 ай бұрын
Can these trees (Robinia and Honey Locust) be planted as a windbreak for sweet chestnut and pecan trees?
@LittleJordanFarm5 жыл бұрын
Love this..thanks alot for info. You know though my goats don't seem to be interested in them. Thanks again
@glennwilck57905 жыл бұрын
All those thorns I wouldn't want to eat them either
@wendyandwalter404 жыл бұрын
Interesting. Mine loved it. My experience, though, was that livestock only eats plants high in nutrition they need. On my farm, goats would walk past luscious, beautiful poison ivy without even sniffing it, which is unusual - but obviously they weren't deficient in whatever PI was heavy in nutrient wise.
@LittleJordanFarm4 жыл бұрын
@@wendyandwalter40 I agree..I've also had some love poison ivy and others pass by. They know what they need
@dami20014 жыл бұрын
Where I live black locust spreads very easily and has so many thorns, it requires a lot of management as you said but there are many benefits. To be honest I got rid of it with a lot of effort. I believe I will plant thornless honey locusts which are still useful plants and If I am not wrong they do not produce suckers. Thank you very much for sharing your experience with the black locust tree. Dami.
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
Honey Locust does not send up suckers as far as I know
@Erewhon20244 жыл бұрын
Honey locust is a great fodder tree but doesn't nodulate. It is debated whether or not it can fix nitrogen by another mechanism, but it probably isn't a superior species for that.
@dami20014 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres thank you very much for your information!
@dami20014 жыл бұрын
@@Erewhon2024 Thank you so much for your information!
@michelifig63562 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres good to know
@davidpeightal4918 Жыл бұрын
Thank you.
@fourdayhomestead28395 жыл бұрын
Great info. Locust can be used for cordwood masonry.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
Some dense walls I bet!
@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid5 жыл бұрын
Great info! I don’t think they grow in zone 4 but I really liked learning. 👍👍
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
They are hardy to zone 4. I know of people up in zone 4 Vermont growing them.
@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid5 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres Wow! I am so surprised but will definitely be doing more research on them now.
@jillhoward14525 жыл бұрын
I just found one growing wild on my parents' property, also in Vermont, but more like zone 3.
@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid5 жыл бұрын
Jill Howard very cool!
@joanjarrette86912 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres will they grow in Canada?
@benjamindejonge36243 жыл бұрын
Are they evergreen? I mean in the northern continental they use willow coppace as fuel for power stations, harvesting with a sort of maiscorn combine in the winter frost . It’s not a mulch machine but a chopped wood cutter for feeding heaters systems
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
They are not evergreen...
@amyjones24905 жыл бұрын
Good talk. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@allonesame64675 жыл бұрын
Growing and managing fertility in situ synergistically!
@75shadystorm7 ай бұрын
I just dug one up to give to someone because i thought they were poisonous for animals and people to eat. Are they not? Im really considering keeping it, for the pollinators and nitrogen aspects and amazing usage being rot free and hardwood.
@susanidepatton93383 жыл бұрын
I have a small locust ‘grove’ that I am thinking of partially harvesting for fencing or possibly to mill for a tent platform. Now after seeing your presentation, I’m thinking maybe I should pollard instead.
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
Could be worthwhile if you have deer pressure and a desire for another harvest in your lifetime.
@liz-sy2lj2 жыл бұрын
do you think it would be okay to plant black locust about 10 feet apart from each other? or closer? i'm wanting to create a screen.
@ethantreadaway71693 жыл бұрын
The wood from that type of tree is the best for bow makeing
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
So many wonderful values to Black Locust.
@adelepoe54385 жыл бұрын
How do the attributes of black locust compare with honey locust? I have honey locust, but for firewood and building material, should I seek out black locust? Or are they comparable?
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
You can research, but I believe Black Locust would be more rot resistant and higher BTU... That said, if you already have a resource on the land that has some high value in it's own right!
@peterellis56265 жыл бұрын
I'm curious about the choice to pollard rather than coppice. Could you explain your reasoning there? I very much want to add black locust to the makeup of our forest here in SW MI for a variety of reasons. Along with lots of other things, lol. So Much To Do! Black alder for nitrogen fixing in wet soil; willows to help with pulling some of the water out of our wet soil and provide crafting materials, seaberry, goumi, the lists go on and on ;)
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
The pollarding is about keeping the regrowth above the browsing height of the deer that move through the area.
@KlausBioMadsen3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. So if you don't pollard or coppice them they don't produce suckers at all?
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
No, the suckering happens either way!
@tracybruring84405 жыл бұрын
Do they spread like a mesquite?
@tracybruring84405 жыл бұрын
never mind I posted that before I watched this. the answer is yes
@michaelripperger56745 жыл бұрын
But they don’t have nasty thorns
@tracybruring84405 жыл бұрын
@@michaelripperger5674 oh ok I thought they did have thorns; tu
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
They do have thorns.
@michaelripperger56745 жыл бұрын
Ahh maybe they are sisters from another mister
@aurorafree58422 жыл бұрын
I have one question, I bought a small plot of about 12000 sq ft, which is completely covered with black locust. The problem that bothers me is whether I will be able to build a house on the land if I cut down trees, of course I do not want to cut down all the trees, but I would certainly cut down most of the trees, now , is it possible they make a problem under the house if I build a house, the foundation will be of pillars, so they will have space under to start growing again. How can I avoid regrowth and is there a possibility that the whole terrain where the house would be could be plowed with a tractor,would that help me stop regrowth. I would not like to treat the soil with chemicals, since i'm planning to make a small garden in one part, although I do not know if I will be able to, since I saw that these trees does not allow a clean surface where it can be a garden. correct me if I'm wrong and give me some advice if you have. Thank you for your time and understanding.
@Shaker_Hill_Sugarworks5 жыл бұрын
Could you share the specs and source of that ditch blade you are using? Thanks.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
I'll plan to do a vide on it soon... One Scythe Revolution is the company...
@Shaker_Hill_Sugarworks5 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres Thanks. I have one of his snaths and a blade that I thought was a ditch blade but after one use in an area of thick golden rod the blade had three cracks in it. I see he has a heavier duty ditch blade and I am guess that is the one you have. Look forward to the video.
@Invictum5943 жыл бұрын
You mentioned “cold weather” environment for black locust. Is there a tree with the same utility that does well in hotter dry environment? I live in San Diego zone 10b for reference
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
Hmmm... I don't know but maybe Moringa is something to explore?
@wolfbirdhomestead6002 жыл бұрын
Mimosa or eucalyptus?
@Leonidimus59 Жыл бұрын
Does it spread easily by seed? I don't mind dealing with suckers but don't want to chase it all over my large forest
@edibleacres Жыл бұрын
I haven't had them come up in a strong way from seed, just mainly suckers
@VicsYard5 жыл бұрын
Great video Thank you!
@allismusic2634 жыл бұрын
Hi, Great video, many thanks for sharing. I'd like to ask at what stage from planting time can you start cutting it back for mulch (chop and drop style)?
@ksero10002 жыл бұрын
Will continuing to keep cutting back the root suckers make the parent tree more healthy or do those suckers mean the parent tree is dying? Im new to this property that has two along the bordering the back yard leading into forest thats unfortunatelu being engulfed by tangled mass of japanese honeysuckle vines. I really need the high shade from the ones in the open space, but I'm afraid are dying bc the fallen branches are all over the place around the old trees (which I use to frame around the hydrangeas I planted). I'm hoping that's normal and normal that they seem to lose their leaves earlier than common trees. Wow I love the fence you made! Thanks for uploading!
@edibleacres2 жыл бұрын
They definitely lose their leaves early and leaf out late... That is normal... I'm not sure I can say that seeing suckers means the parent trees are dying. It generally more means there is disturbance happening in the soil or the context is changing. I think you can cut them out as needed, but ask for more opinions of course!
@ksero10002 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres Thank you! Loving the channel!!!
@drekfletch2 жыл бұрын
Might I request a video of compare/contrast black locust vs osage orange? Everything I've found gives a very surface summary of each or about how to distinguish one from the other. There's not much to help decide which might be best for one's situation.
@edibleacres2 жыл бұрын
We don't have very established Osage... But both are wonderful trees for sure!
@David-kd5mf5 жыл бұрын
It seems like black locust could be managed as a hedge
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
Sure could.
@David-kd5mf5 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres I think I'm gonna try it. Got an air pruning bed with some seedling black locust in my backyard and am gonna try a black locust hedge near property borders.
@tomfool435 жыл бұрын
I have an old honey locust 'hedge' or living wall on my land. The individual stems have welded together and the thing looks pretty bull proof to me with those monstrous black tines! But the way several separate plants have joined together above an old pollard line is interesting. I wonder if it's just something the tree does or if it means they're all genetic clones.
@David-kd5mf5 жыл бұрын
@@tomfool43 good to know. What spacing do they have?
@sage09255 жыл бұрын
Black Locust is lusted after in my area for firewood. It grows like crazy in Boise near the creeks and streams. Up here in the mountains, all we have is pine. BL, as I understand it, has the highest BTU's of any wood in North America. Stuff burns longer and hotter than pine.
@Dollapfin5 жыл бұрын
Mayavata25 live oak, hop hornbeam, hickory, Osage orange, and persimmon can be denser, however remember that trees don’t always grow the same. My shop teacher has a section of cherry that I believe is denser than teak!
@jeffreydustin53033 жыл бұрын
does the black locust mulch rot easily or remain on the soil longer than say pine straw, woodchips, etc.?
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
If it is chopped up it breaks down very vary fast. As branches it certainly sticks around for a bit...
@navarra42 жыл бұрын
But how do you know the goats ect. Can eat it. And is it edible for humans
@bencapozzi5 жыл бұрын
What experience do you all have with black locust and chickens and/or ducks? Mostly I’m concerned about toxicity. I read in some places it’s poisonous to poultry.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
I have no direct experience, sorry.
@tepesSTM5 жыл бұрын
chickens love the leaves...they'll only eat what they want ...that is my experience
@andrewsblendorio3 жыл бұрын
Are there any effective rhizome barriers to prevent black locust suckers from spreading in a certain direction?
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
I don't know that there would be. THey are super powerful. Same with bamboo. I'd say pruning shears or a scythe :). The good news is that they are amazing mulch plants so it is worth the management.
@michelifig63562 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres could it b tamed in a big pot?
@RealFrankyDog3 жыл бұрын
I’m just starting to do some management of several acres of prairie surrounded by a tree line containing black locusts. Just learning about black locusts now after I cut a larger one down to add sunlight for a maple I planted. Now I’m noticing two other larger locusts with leaves withering as if the trees are dying. Would cutting down one locust kill two others?
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
I haven't heard of that but I can't say for sure... hmmm...
@keaco735 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video! What did you mean that they are rot resistant? They just take longer than the average wood to rot?
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
Sure do. Heartwood Black Locust is incredibly rot resistant compared to Pressure Treated or any other lumber.
@midwestplantgeeks8643 Жыл бұрын
That they sucker and create thickets should cause you concern. I find in wooded areas they tend to be tamer due to competition but in open areas they take over.. Every year more and more work to keep them in check. However, love is blind in this case.
@getintothewildwithjeffruma87772 жыл бұрын
Are black Locust and Honey Locust the same tree just a different name? Or different types?
@edibleacres Жыл бұрын
Different plants for sure. Some overlap in characteristics but different beings
@Mikedenton5414 жыл бұрын
Wheee did you get the saplings or seeds? VERY straight poles.
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
Those are standard genetics, but planted pretty close and a bit of effort to prune side branches translates into nice clean runs of wood.
@darthvader53005 жыл бұрын
There are two kinds of Black Locust trees. The 1st one is the brown wood black locust tree whose wood decomposes easily into humus and fixes nitrogen and used to recover mined out areas and is a very short and shrubby and short lived tree. The 2sd one is the yellow wood black locust tree whose wood can last as long as a stone and is used as a permanent wood for permanent wooden structures and is a a tall straight tree which is why this yellow wood black locust is also called as "ship mast locust tree" for it is used for making ship masts and it's wood is highly and virtually resinous. The highly and virtually resinous yellow wood black locust tree is long lived and is a nitrogen-fixer.
@judahjackson95062 жыл бұрын
Do you happen to know the scientific names of both species I would like to be able to identify which seeds to buy.
@darthvader53002 жыл бұрын
@@judahjackson9506 (1) Robinia pseudoacacia var. rectissima The yellow locust is a tree, called "yellow" because the wood is a lighter. the tall, straight tree pressumed nonexistent in the Appalachian forest had, for generations, been alive and well in Long Island, New York, where it was called the "shipmast" locust, and had been planted, under the encouragement of the Soil Conservation Services, to reduce erosion and enrich the soil. This tree is called as THE TREE THAT LAST LIKE A STONE for it's wood won't rot, immune from insects. The reason why it is called shipmast locust is because it is aa straight as a shipmast used in ships before. The yellow locust is long-lived---borers do not trouble it---and the wood, used by mountain people as structural timber bridges and buildings as well as fenceposts, is virtually indestructible. It can only be reproduced by rooted cuttings and rarely by seeds. You can either go to Long Island, New York to ask for rooted cuttings or ask a forest ranger for information in your area on where you can acquire rooted cuttings of the yellow locust. The yellow locust wood is colored "YELLOW". (2) The ordinary black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a tree that grows typically to forty or fifty feet in this region (and occasionally to seventy or eighty) - a smallish, gganrly-looking tree with wide, complex branching, beginning low on the trunk. It's forked branches make the tree subject to borers, and therefore the tree has a short life span of fifty to seventy-five years, and rots away rather quickly after being cut. It's wood is not commercially valuable. This tree is only useful as firewood and to reclaim mined out areas. The color of the ordinary black locust is "BROWN". The ordinary black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a tree that grows typically to forty or fifty feet in this region (and occasionally to seventy or eighty) - a smallish, gganrly-looking tree with wide, complex branching, beginning low on the trunk. It's forked branches make the tree subject to borers, and therefore the tree has a short life span of didty to seventy-five years, and rots away rather quickly after being cut. It's wood is not commercially valuable. The yellow locust is an another matter entirely. This tree, called "yellow" because the wood is a lighter color than that of the black locust (which is brown), has the same sprays of compound leaves as the black, and the same leguminous seed pods, like the pods of field peas or fava beans. But there the similarities end. The yellow locust rises as tall and straight as the mast of a saling ship in the forest, it's branches not beginning on the stout trunk until fifty or sixty feet from the ground. It's crown is narrow, not broad like the black locust's, and at the top of the tree is at or above the canopy ---often at 150 feet ir higher, Also unlike the black locust, the yellow locust is long-lived---borers do not trouble it---and the wood, used by mountain people as structural timber bridges and buildings as well as fenceposts, is virtually indestructible. The mystery of the yellow locust as a tree distinct from the black aises not because the mountain people are confused, but because the yellow was more or less "lost" n the literature of academic botany for over forty years. It is perhaps no wonder that young botanists and foresters deny it's exstence. Recently, a smapling of this lost literature was collected by John Flynn, who, following up a vaque reference in Donald Culross Peattie's 1950 book A natural History of Treets, scoured the U.S. Department of Agriculture Library at Beltsville, Mryland (with the enthuasistic help of te librarian on duty), for early articles on the yellow locust. Reading through a packet of a half a dozen papers from the 1930s and 1940s, he found that the tall, straight tree pressumed nonexistent in the Appalachian forest had, for generations, been alive and well in Long Island, New York, where it was called the "shipmast" locust, and had been planted, under the encouragement of the Soil Conservation Services, to reduce erosion and enrich the soil. The tree was identified in 1936 as a separate botanical variety by Oran Raber (Robinia pseudoacacia var. rectissima).
@taylorkuhla43275 жыл бұрын
Our alders plant themselves all over here. I use them the same way.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
Very lovely plant for sure.
@KristyLeeVlogs5 жыл бұрын
Is this the same property that you have the chicken composting system on?
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
No. Kind of complex scene overall, some of the videos are from our 6 acre parcel where my folks live, like this video.... Most, including the chickens and high tunnels, etc., are our .5 acre spot where my wife and I live.
@liam3144 жыл бұрын
Do you know how long it takes for black locust to start flowering again after it has been pollarded? I know some trees like Tilia cordata never flower if you pollard them.
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
I'm not quite sure, I'll let you know if I see good flowering this year, this will be 3 years from pollarding.
@liam3144 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres Great thank you so much.🙏
@CajunGramps2 жыл бұрын
Do you sell black locust trees. I live in southern Arkansas. If you sell them, how much including shipping?
@edibleacres2 жыл бұрын
We plan to sell them again in the fall. We ask $15 a piece for shipmast locust, super super straight and nice trees.
@johnlangston49634 жыл бұрын
Hello I have a question. I purchase my land in 1994 and theses I called green beans are big. I have only 2 of these tree and the are 50 foot tall. My question is I want to eat these bean again they grow and get over 12 inch or more long and the beans are as big as a quarter the bean only black as coal. I heard that trees that grows defeat could be eaten I mean the bean. Hope you can answer can the bean be cook and eaten just like you do any other bean. Enjoyed your 📫
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
Not sure if Black Locust can be eaten, I don't believe so...
@Erewhon20244 жыл бұрын
Black locust has toxic seeds/legumes. Twelve inches sounds more like a Catalpa, which isn't in the bean family. Don't eat anything you can't positively identify (& verify to be edible & how to prepare it so that it is edible). I would buy or check out a guide to local trees and key it out based on flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, etc. Then you might be able to find culinary traits (or not) by checking with a forager's channel / book / website. Green Deane (eattheweeds) does a good job for the SE USA.
@johnlangston49634 жыл бұрын
@@Erewhon2024 Hello Thanks for the info. It been two months .. Know one would answer my question . The tree has long thorns about 3 " long. You almost can use it for a. 8 penny nail. Everyyear these I call long black green bean shape fall to the ground about l00 and if you let it dry out the beans is on the inside of a hull hard and black. Just as hard as any dry bean from the store. Thanks for the reply.
@1885dr5 жыл бұрын
I have found a thicket close to my house , would these be good candidates? Thanks for all your great input.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
Could be!
@razpet204 жыл бұрын
I have just one additional question here, before I plant these. Once you scythe or cut the sprouts, is this also considered an "attack" on the tree, and do they keep resprouting during the season if you continually cut them back? Or does this action happen just once you pollard them, and then they are calm for the rest of the season (if you just scythe the sprouts once and don't pollard the tree again)?
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
I haven't watched super closely, but each round of pruning, digging, cutting, etc., seems to be very stimulating to more expansion and growth. It's a little crazy but pretty wonderful too.
@razpet204 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres Ah ok, then it's settled. I will rather just plant it where I'm comfortable even if it escapes a bit, as opposed to risking putting it on a border with neighbour's grassland. :) Thank you.
@fourdayhomestead28395 жыл бұрын
Link for ditch blade you use?
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
www.onescytherevolution.com/quick-order.html - I got the light bush blade type...
@patrick819810 ай бұрын
Is it safe for animals to eat the leaves???????
@edibleacres10 ай бұрын
Mixed reviews from folks but we know a good numberof people feeding sheep with stems andleaves of locust with noproblems
@lunethgardens5 жыл бұрын
Black locust or Leucaena for desert Southwest in AZ? I don’t even know if black locust would survive out here. What are your thoughts?
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised.
@kwajrod5 жыл бұрын
Mesquite, New Mexico Locust and Palo Verde are in the same family and are native to that region. I think Black Locust needs a steadier supply of water than it would get there, unless you plan to irrigate it somehow.
@nancyfahey75185 жыл бұрын
That's how I have to control the golden rain tree here in Florida. I let them grow for chop n drop. Pluck the seedlings and throw them in my raised gardens. They are endless.
@miqf9145 жыл бұрын
Hi, Nancy. Do you (or anyone else who reads this) happen to know if the seeds of the golden rain tree are toxic to chickens?
@nancyfahey75185 жыл бұрын
I googled it, Golden Chain is toxic. This is Golden Rain tree, Koelreuteria paniculata. Now that you bring this up, I realize why I had so many seedlings this year. I built a fence where the chicken can't get to it. I'll have to let them out this fall. Thanks for that.
@kerem75464 жыл бұрын
isn't black locust toxic to animals? or is it a certain part of the plant? would be interested in a compare and contrast in honey locust and black locust for the purposes of silvopasture and firewood production
@edibleacres4 жыл бұрын
I don't have direct experience with feeding black locust to animals but I know a number of people that swear by it as a high quality feed...
@kerem75464 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres ya, steve gabriel at Cornell claims it has the same nutritional value as alfalfa
@kerem75464 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres did a little research and found that black locust does have a similar nutritional profile to alfalfa, though it is important to trunk of the tree mature to about 3 seasons, so that farm animals do not ingest the bark/trunk of the growing tree.
@Erewhon20244 жыл бұрын
I'd be careful with it for monogastric animals. It is toxic to people.
@ryanmoon41259 ай бұрын
Isn't black locust toxic for animals to consume?
@edibleacres9 ай бұрын
I don't think it is, but don't take my word for it.
@Susan77ism5 жыл бұрын
No mention of the thorns? Our Black Locust trees have big big thorns on them! Ouch!
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
They've got thorns for sure. I'm so used to working with a wide mix of thorny plants I forget about them!
@kwajrod5 жыл бұрын
Honey Locust have large thorns, not Black Locust, which has small ones, although you still have to respect them.
@CliffsidePermaculture5 жыл бұрын
Have you by chance seen if the black locusts compete okay with tree of heaven? I have a cliff area that's currently populated by tree of heaven and I'm limited that i can't just remove them without risking land slide, and they are allelopathic to most other plants, but I would like something more native and useful there instead none the less, preferably with a less aggressive seeding habit, more aggressive rooting habit, and that doesn't smell as bad. Thank you so very much for your support informative videos!
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
I would explore it. You may find that you can coppice or pollard the tree of heaven when dormant and then manage the regrowth as incredibly fast and rich mulch for gardens. This keeps the roots intact while you release more light to the ground for other characters to plug in...
@CliffsidePermaculture5 жыл бұрын
@@edibleacres i am currently pollarding them. They really smell bad and send millions of seeds up into the growing space of my garden so I'd like to plan for a future with a less invasive and more useful tree. I'm hoping to give a thornless black locus a try!
@joecliffordson4 ай бұрын
I have heard black locust is toxic to goats and sheep. Has anyone got first hand experience grazing in locust?
@TheCompanion-gx5bz2 жыл бұрын
My sheep LOVE eating black locust leaves and even strip the bark off the branches I prune off.
@MrChickadee3 жыл бұрын
Is there any evidence for nitrogen fixing trees actually feeding their neighbors? I understand the idea behind it, just curious if it has actually been tested. I don't even need a scientific paper, a simple experience based type test would suffice. For example, someone noting more substantial growth in fruit trees inter planted with legume trees that are pruned regularly....absent of other factors for example. Ive read that it may not be so simple with legumes, they do make nitrogen, but only for themselves. You must rob them of the nitrogen in some way, like cutting and composting the green parts of say beans and letting it go back to the soil rather than harvesting the beans and removing the upper plant waste. Ive heard claims of the pruning action causing roots to die and release nitrogen, but this is also a bit counterintuative with what we see with coppice for example, the coppiced root just gets bigger and bigger and regrows faster each time, it does not seem to be killing roots when it is pruned each time??? Ive got access to lots of locust, both honey and black, and am considering adding them to the orchard, but I want to know it is actually worth the space, time and care. Thank you for your thoughts and time.
@edibleacres3 жыл бұрын
We have some areas with Autumn Olive that after pruning seem to provide a huge boost to the plants around them. I have no science or numbers to offer, but I can say my experience and observation seems to support my feelings that N-fixers are beneficial, especially when chop and drop practices are put into place. Maybe try just a few in a given area and watch the changes (if there are any to experience)
@12vLife4 жыл бұрын
Do these thrive in south Central Florida in sandy soil? How easy to propagate from cuttings? Do the shots have thorns? Anybody know what tree this is? gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/51993/is-this-an-osage-orange-or-osage-silk-tree-in-central-florida
@Erewhon20244 жыл бұрын
I do know it is neither a black locust (wrong shape, wrong leaves) nor a che (Cudrania tricuspidata, silkworm thorn)--wrong flower buds, and somewhat wrong foliage. Lycium might be possible (I'd want to see the open flowers or the fruit to tell; Lycium will look like goji berries). FL has a lot of thorn scrub.
@jameshack4855 жыл бұрын
Do you have the thornless variety? I see a few thorns on the tree trunk but not on the branches. I'm thinking of using black locust for a living perimeter fence on the border of my property. Need them to be thick bushes and not taller trees.
@edibleacres5 жыл бұрын
These trees have thorns.
@louisecamm90582 жыл бұрын
I have read that the black locusts tree is poisonous to humans and livestock?? I would love to know if this is true. Please comment
@edibleacres2 жыл бұрын
I do not believe this is true, but we've only eaten the flowers (they are amazing). We have friends who feed leaves and branches to sheep and goats...
@thecurrentmoment5 жыл бұрын
I guess with giraffes you would need to pollard them quite high
@rochrich12235 жыл бұрын
Right. There is a theory I believe that since the thorns and branchiness ends when the tree gets above a certain height, that shows it evolved alongside the mammoth. So to use them as fodder most effectively, we should bring in elephants or clone a frozen mammoth.
@timothykeith13674 жыл бұрын
Black locust would be widely grown commercially except that it is susceptible to the locust borer.
@anopinion4this2 жыл бұрын
Got two huge for my yard and was sprouting little shoots I had to take it down a year ago and now I have 50 to 70 shoots in my yard I had to have someone come and pour diesel fuel in order to kill it will this not grow next year and the stump was removed!
@edibleacres2 жыл бұрын
Yikes, diesel fuel, really!?!? That is an incredibly long lasting cancer causing addition to your landscape, in trade for not having to mow a few more times? Cutting a tree a few more times seems less annoying than cancer, but to each their own.