Basal Spraying Locust Trees...kill 'em all

[Orlando]

Its that time of year I like to focus on thinning the locust trees on my place. I have cut and sprayed, ringed and sprayed, sprayed foliar, and basal sprayed and finally figured out what works best for me. In winter I spray a mix of 25% Remedy and 75% diesel. Trees over 6" diameter, I like to ring them with a chainsaw and spray the cut. Under 6" diameter Basal spray the bottom foot or two of the tree. I prefer to use Remedy over Tordon as the Remedy does not stay in the soil and kill trees I want to keep. I use a gallon hand sprayer from Orscheln's. The diesel does not seem to eat it up and it is pretty cheap. In the spring when very small locusts start to leaf out, use a foliar spray with a mix of Remedy and 24D.

 

[Orlando]

These are locust trees that were basal sprayed last winter. They get a white mold or fungus on them and just become very brittle and break off.

 

[Catscratch]

Exactly the same method I'm settling in on. No luck with gly for a good kill but the Remedy/diesel seems to do the trick.

 

[Tree Spud]

Garlon4 & diesel mixed 1:3 works very well. I have not found a pump sprayer that will work due to the viscosity and use old dish soap bottles. Make sure you keep it on the tree as these herbicides and attack other tree roots once in the ground.

 

[ksgobbler]

I need to try this. I am currently cutting and stump treating which is expensive and labor intensive. Locusts don’t like flood water and a bunch of mine are already in various states of death. However the stuff on the high ground is going well and I need it gone.

 

[JFK52]

I clear cut a 5 acre black locust grove 22 years ago. Every cut tree had the stump immediately treated with Tordon. I did not see the results of the Tordon staying in the soil and killing good trees. I did see the Tordon translocate through the root system of the locust trees and kill other smaller locusts up to 15 feet away.
I used Milestone last year to topically spray on a small grove of locust trees and it wiped them all out.
I don't get the logic of how you are afraid of Tordon yet have no problem spraying a petro chemical like diesel fuel on your land?

 

[Orlando]

J, I just know what I have read about the chemical actions. Tordon is reported to stay in the soil. Triclopyr (Remedy) is supposed to lock on to the tree and fungus etc in the soil will break the chemical down. For my purposes, especially where I have planted and nurtured oak trees, I prefer not to risk killing the oaks. The diesel is just used when basal spraying, not broadcasting. i am really not using much diesel as many many trees can be treated with a gallon of diesel. Foliar spraying with diesel does not work as it burns the leaves, preventing the tree from pulling the chemical down. Also, I can treat more trees for the money with Remedy.

 

[Apple Junkie]

The farmer next to me cuts and sells all his locust as posts. In addition to other farmers, it seems the "organic" folks prefer the locust posts over anything pressure treated. I know he does not lack for customer's and sells all he can cut. I know you're probably not looking to get into the fence post business, but just passin' this along for that it's worth.

 

[Orlando]

I have heard of people using black locust for posts. I think our locusts are honey locusts. In Kansas, we use hedge posts (osage orange, bodark) and no other wood lasts as long. So, I generally cut the hedge trees for posts and let them re-sprout to cut again some day.

 

[JFK52]

lf you have found a process that works on your land for killing nasty tear you up with their thorns black locust trees, congrats and stick with it. I went back in my black locust clear cut and have gone after the volunteers that were in the seed bank numerous times over the last 22 years and it is never a fun job. My clear cut now has cherry, popple (aspen) red and burr oak, plus a multitude of berry bushes. There were two apple trees in this area that survived and are now prospering. The deer use it as a bedding area and it is an intersection of deer trails Next season, I will devote a day or more to cutting and treating the smaller locust trees that have grown since the last treatment. I might get some Milestone and just spray the entire trees as it is tough to get in close and cut a tree due to all the thorns on the branches.

What I find really ironic, is that during the dust bowl era of the 1930s the Wisconsin DNR, or as it was called back then, the Wisconsin Conservation Department, encouraged farmers to plant black locust trees to stop soil erosion. They grow fast and really shade out any other competing trees. That was the approximate age of the black locust trees in this 5 acre spot.
Now the DNR has done a 180 degree reversal and wants them removed as non native invasives.

 

[ksgobbler]

A few in here that need killed...

Honey locust gets termites bad. Hedge posts rule.

 

[Orlando]

Those trees would make a nice quail type brushpile and aren't crazy big to cut. I think you could basal spray those and kill them. But, it may not be best to leave them standing ...might serve you better as rabbitat than as a hawk perch.

 

[Orlando]

lf you have found a process that works on your land for killing nasty tear you up with their thorns black locust trees, congrats and stick with it. I went back in my black locust clear cut and have gone after the volunteers that were in the seed bank numerous times over the last 22 years and it is never a fun job. My clear cut now has cherry, popple (aspen) red and burr oak, plus a multitude of berry bushes. There were two apple trees in this area that survived and are now prospering. The deer use it as a bedding area and it is an intersection of deer trails Next season, I will devote a day or more to cutting and treating the smaller locust trees that have grown since the last treatment. I might get some Milestone and just spray the entire trees as it is tough to get in close and cut a tree due to all the thorns on the branches.

What I find really ironic, is that during the dust bowl era of the 1930s the Wisconsin DNR, or as it was called back then, the Wisconsin Conservation Department, encouraged farmers to plant black locust trees to stop soil erosion. They grow fast and really shade out any other competing trees. That was the approximate age of the black locust trees in this 5 acre spot.
Now the DNR has done a 180 degree reversal and wants them removed as non native invasives.

Too many times introducing new species seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

[ksgobbler]

I’ll add to this. I’ve got Pathfinder II coming. I am going to basal treat a bunch of small locust and hedge trees, and I am gonna try it on a couple larger ones to see what happens.

 

[H20fwler]

I've been at war with them also, my medicine of choice is a 50/50 mix of Crossbow and water. Hack and squirt, cut off and squirt, girdle and squirt hunt down the little ones and just squirt.
Tried the Tordan a little and it does the job but will also stay in ground for years and follow roots and kill good trees ten to fifteen feet away so I gave it up.

 

[Boll Weevil]

A dead locust is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

 

[MickT]

Triclopyr herbicides are pure death on legumes like black locust.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Catscratch]

Triclopyr herbicides are pure death on legumes like black locust.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been using a mix of triclopyr, diacamba, and 24d. Doesn't kill grass so that there aren't a bunch of dead spots for other invasives to pop up. The verdict is still out as I just started using it this summer but so far I like the results.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[ksgobbler]

I was going to try pasture guard HL and diesel but don’t like spraying diesel everywhere. If the Pathfinder arrives this week I have the perfect grove of 8 ft tall locusts to try it on.

 

[MickT]

Pathfinder is weak triclopyr. 0.75lb/gallon vs 4 lb/gallon in Garlon 4. If you don’t want to use diesel, order Garlon 3a or another generic amine triclopyr and use hack and squirt. Some glyphosate formulations are labeled for hack and squirt too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk