black locust thorns--infections
- Thread starter SouthSoundTree
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top_notch
Treehouser
Been dealing with Hawthorn bushes the last week here....fire mitigation on a steep bank behind a house. Have to winch piles at least 200 ft up the hill. Awful work. Its hot and dry and everyone is FREAKING out about fire danger. Hopefully this is the last mitigation job we have to do...no fun.
Marc-Antoine
TreeHouser
I did some black locusts removals my self too. The stings aren't frequent. The main tricks are: always look at where you put your hands and don't grad hard and (over all) fast. If there is a unseen thorn, you can feel it before taking any serious damage.
Actually the thorns are very few on the slow growing limbs and twigs (small diameter and well ramified). Very few or any at all.
The old fast growing axis loose their thorns when the bark becomes deeply ridged.
But careful, for some unknown reasons, you can find time to time one old thorn which stays on the aged bark. One in all the tree maybe, but your hand will find it, like a nail with the chainsaw !
The main pain comes from the regrowth and the new sprouts, which appear in great number after a storm damage, a heavy pruning or a dying tree. Good sized thorns everywhere. Slow movements are mandatory, because often, the offending thorns take you where you didn't wait it, like the hand's outside, the forearm ...
Those pokes are deep and very serious if they touch a finger knuckle.
Actually the thorns are very few on the slow growing limbs and twigs (small diameter and well ramified). Very few or any at all.
The old fast growing axis loose their thorns when the bark becomes deeply ridged.
But careful, for some unknown reasons, you can find time to time one old thorn which stays on the aged bark. One in all the tree maybe, but your hand will find it, like a nail with the chainsaw !
The main pain comes from the regrowth and the new sprouts, which appear in great number after a storm damage, a heavy pruning or a dying tree. Good sized thorns everywhere. Slow movements are mandatory, because often, the offending thorns take you where you didn't wait it, like the hand's outside, the forearm ...
Those pokes are deep and very serious if they touch a finger knuckle.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
They grow like weeds in these parts, and can often be found on stream banks, and grow quickly. I have removed quite a number of large ones, and people wanting firewood will swarm all over it, even thieves if you give them half a chance. Odd, it doesn't seem to have a lot of moisture in the wood when green, or is dissipates rather quickly and will soon be burnable. Normally it seems like you'd expect a harder wood like that to dry out slow.
The back splats and rocker blades on this chair are Black Acacia, with it's characteristic color and grain. When it was newly made, so the color is still bright. It will soon darken up to more tan. The other wood is Cherry, for contrast.
The back splats and rocker blades on this chair are Black Acacia, with it's characteristic color and grain. When it was newly made, so the color is still bright. It will soon darken up to more tan. The other wood is Cherry, for contrast.
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I have burnt Locust two weeks after removal. Something about the steamed sap makes it burn hotter. It is a legume also so the grass around these trees is generally beautiful. Jay I will have to try some woodworking with it. Turning has been a bear for me but still pretty. Nice rocker!
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Thanks, Bud. I have found a lot of variation in the quality and ease of workability, depending on growing location and trees. Sometimes it can be smooth textured and a pleasure to use, sometimes stringy and tough as all hell. Not really sure why the difference?
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
It's been my observation you only see thorns to amount to anything on immature little smooth bark saplings .Once they get to fence post size ,6-8 inches the thorns are about nonexsistant .
Even a honey locust if you cut them off they really don't grow back much .Fact I had a fence row of big honey locust near my pond where I used to live .I dehorned the damned things so the kids didn't get stuck .Like 5 gallon buckets full which I burned .
Even a honey locust if you cut them off they really don't grow back much .Fact I had a fence row of big honey locust near my pond where I used to live .I dehorned the damned things so the kids didn't get stuck .Like 5 gallon buckets full which I burned .
pigwot
M's, Juniper's, Lowen’s, and Inge’s Grandpa
The University of Delaware has an allee of mature Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos); with wicked bunches of thorns which are long, thin, and easily break off inside you should you be unlucky.
The Black Locust (Robinia) I've seen almost always have thorns just on the younger growth (maybe an adaptation to keep the deer from stripping them clean in the winter). Gently disassembled one over a trailer today; the result of the storm last Friday.
The Black Locust (Robinia) I've seen almost always have thorns just on the younger growth (maybe an adaptation to keep the deer from stripping them clean in the winter). Gently disassembled one over a trailer today; the result of the storm last Friday.
SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #34
My concern is mostly for the groundmen. I'll be busy rigging the thing down, so I'll be away from the young growth. From the ground, I saw some thorns, mostly small. Just didn't want to get caught off-guard.
Thanks for input.
Thanks for input.
flushcut
TreeHouser
Thorny trees suck in general to work with. I detest hawthorn my mom has one and every time I work that f$%#@&! thing I get stuck.
SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #36
After living in the Sierra and working in the desert, I thought that I'd never own any spiny plants in my landscape. We still have some invasive Himilayan blackberries, under control, for eating and habitat for birds and snakes and critters. The sierras were free of anything poisonous or sticky. I used to live in Southern Illinois--little known fact, Poison Ivy is the State Plant of Southern Illinois (kinda like West Virginia, but different), and the Tick is the State Insect.
