Locust tree fence posts

Minnie Mo John · Sep 8, 2009

The message about burning locust fence posts trigered a menory from when I was a kid on the farm in Kansas. We used black locust trees for fence posts. Dad insisted that we had to put them in butt end up or they would sprout and grow. Will they sprout and grow if planted butt end down?
John

kyplowboy · Sep 8, 2009

They will if they are green, I have a neigbor that has several post that he had to spray with crossbow several times. There are locust post on this farm that granddad sat as a teenager and they are still holding up good. He would be 81 now. I treat them like he taught me when I was a kid. Cut them in the winter before the sap started to rise. Leave them stacked in the sun for one summer, after the first summer the bark will come loose and you can peel it off. After the bark is off let them set in the sun off the ground till the next spring and then you can set them how ever you want.

Dave

bjb in TX from Ne · Sep 8, 2009

In theory yes. Some plants can be propagated through hardwood cuttings. If there is sufficient moisture left in the trunk then they might be able too. Some trees that my dad cut down in early spring started to sprout and grow the new leaves just from the residual moisture left in the log (i think they were elms). Also, plants exhibit polarity in the stem, so the side closer to the roots will form the new roots, giving plausibility to putting the posts in upside down. One final note, either debarking, or properly drying would also prevent them from 'sprouting'.

OliverGuy · Sep 8, 2009

That sounds like about what my uncles would do. Anybody ever use catalpa? I"ve read that it is a rot resistant wood also? I think there"s a few left on our place that look to be old cedar posts I think.

IH2444 · Sep 8, 2009

They will not grow if you debark them, which you should do for fenceposts anyway.

OH Boy · Sep 8, 2009

I don't know if its rot resistant or not but Catalpa wood seems like awfully soft wood for making fence posts from. I have cut it for firewood on occasion, its really light weight and soft to cut.

KYfarm · Sep 8, 2009

anything cut off of a hedgeapple tree actually called an "osage" tree will root if just left on moist ground, or just left on dry ground and will wait for the ground to get wet, darn insidious plants are hard to get rid of

Richard G. · Sep 8, 2009

Been using black locust all my life. Yes they will sprout and put on limbs and leaves the first year and then the green dies. They will last two lifetimes. My daddy tried it twice.
Richard

Heyseed · Sep 8, 2009

I agree with Oh Boy, I would not waste the energy using Catalpa. I have used Locust and had it sprout but only a few twigs of green. We have a lot of Black Locust and that stuff will sprout up from the stump fast as ever if you don"t keep it mowed down. Worst part is that the saplings have sharp thorns and will puncture a tire.

2x4 · Sep 9, 2009

Catalpa posts will grow into trees if they are cut & planted the right time of year.
grew up in what had been an old pasture & they'd used Catalpa posts which grew into trees. Two sides of our lot had Catalpas every 10'. Great trees for a kid to climb.

Traditional Farmer · Sep 9, 2009

I use Black Locust all the time for fence posts best to cut them and sharpen them while they are green,then let them cure out for a year or two before planting them.Also will last longer if cut in the later stages of the old Moon and when the sign is low.The rest of the tree makes great firewood much better than Hickory or Oak

Mike (WA) · Sep 9, 2009

Many species of tree will sprout that way- Cottonwood is planted here for pulp wood production, and they "plant" them by taking branch cuttings and just sticking them in the ground in the fall. Have to be "right side up", of course.

Bob Kerr · Sep 9, 2009

If you cut them green and plant them they will sprout. We usually let them cure out for a year. One thing for sure, they will last a lot longer if you take the bark off. Also if you have a 55 gallon barrel fill it with posts and dump in old motor oil till it is a couple feet deep in the barrel and let them sit like that for several months (cover to keep the rain out). The rise and fall of air pressure will draw oil up into the posts and keep them from sprouting too. There are several old fence posts around here that are 75 years old or older. The best one is hedge apple. the others are red cedar that had no sap wood on it when cut square and locust with no bark. all are still in good shape.

Bob Kerr · Sep 9, 2009

If you cut them green and plant them they will sprout. We usually let them cure out for a year. One thing for sure, they will last a lot longer if you take the bark off. Also if you have a 55 gallon barrel fill it with posts and dump in old motor oil till it is a couple feet deep in the barrel and let them sit like that for several months (cover to keep the rain out). The rise and fall of air pressure will draw oil up into the posts and keep them from sprouting too. There are several old fence posts around here that are 75 years old or older. The best one is hedge apple. the others are red cedar that had no sap wood on it when cut square and locust with no bark. all are still in good shape.

Locust tree fence posts

Minnie Mo John

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kyplowboy

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bjb in TX from Ne

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OliverGuy

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IH2444

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OH Boy

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KYfarm

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Richard G.

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Heyseed

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2x4

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Traditional Farmer

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Mike (WA)

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Bob Kerr

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Bob Kerr

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