OT - A thorny issue

modirt · Feb 26, 2019

Anybody know a fool proof method to get rid of the thorns on a locust tree?

Winter brought this tree down a few weeks back. Time to clean it up.......the question is how. If those thorns hit the ground intact, I'll be fixing flats on the lawn mower for some time to come.

Top half of the tree is pretty clear. Bottom half....I might be able to turn it intact about 90 degrees so it sits above a tall grass area I can burn. Then drop the thorns there. About a full cord of wood in the entire tree if I can salvage the bottom half.

I've heard that propane weed burners will take them off.....also heard you can spray the tree with diesel fuel and burn them off that way. Would really like to see them go away so I don't drive over them on step on them.

Whatever I use will be a warmup for this one.......it has to go too.

Janicholson · Feb 26, 2019

Burn them to a blunt point before removing from the tree. Weed flamer, or? Jim

Richard G. · Feb 26, 2019

That must be honey locust and not black locust. We have both types here.
Richard in NW SC

Dean · Feb 26, 2019

I simply saw the tree off at ground level, saw it up, stack and burn the wood, and thoroughly rake the area while the fire is burning so that I can throw the debris onto the fire. After the fire has completely burnt everything (repetitive stacking with pitch fork), and at least a few days have past, I thoroughly mow the area with a rough cut mower set right down on the skid rails while traveling backward only. Of course, I use a tractor/mower combination with a mower that is wider than the tractor tire tread.

Done dozens and dozens of such honey locust trees without incident.

Dean

Dan in Ohio · Feb 26, 2019

I remember building a line fence on our farm when I was growing up and we (Dad and I) had to deal with a couple of those, just remember we both
stepped on thorns before we got that fence done. Our neighbor was responsible for half and we the other, can not remember if he had any to deal with
but I remember those trees looking just like yours. Be careful, might be worth getting a dozer to scape a few inches of top soil into a pile that could
possibly have thorns.

IHC pickups · Feb 26, 2019

They do make good firewood however IMO the only way to handle a thorny locust is with a D-9 CAT. Dig a deep hole and bury it.
I love locust for firewood but refuse to deal with those thorns.

Bkpigs · Feb 26, 2019

What I do is remove the thorns with pliers and place them in a plastic barrel to burn later. Takes a while but better than a flat tire. The firewood is great by the way.

newhollandnut · Feb 26, 2019

I?ve had to cut some down here and there and the way I
removed them is ran a chain saws wide open up and down
the tree trunk until they were gone

D beatty · Feb 26, 2019

I have 3 honey locust trees in yard and none of them have thorns. I have black locust in fence rows that have thorns but not long like that. Several photos of honey locust.

Southern Ray · Feb 26, 2019

ouch!!
and I thought our mesquite and huisache trees were bad.

bradley martin · Feb 26, 2019

Honey locusts come both with and without thorns! The ones available from landscape nurseries are generally thornless. Most, but not all of the wild, native honey locust have thorns as shown. Nursery stock is usually multiplied asexually, by cuttings, to ensure the absence of thorns. Also, the cuttings are usually from male trees, so that the home owner does not have to clean up the pods.

OH Boy · Feb 26, 2019

You can scrape them off the trunk using the back side of a common garden rake. Then rake them up into a pile and burn them.

OT - A thorny issue

modirt

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Janicholson

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Richard G.

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Dean

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Dan in Ohio

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IHC pickups

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Bkpigs

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newhollandnut

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D beatty

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Southern Ray

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bradley martin

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OH Boy

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