Well, back in November, I found a hedge apple tree on the farm I hunt. I figured I'd like to start me a few Osage trees from seed as I'd had good success before with the 2 dozen seeds I planted.
Of course, back then I lived on an acre and a half and had some space...


Let's see how this goes. These all cold stratified over winter in a bucket full of leaves.

You're going to corner the market on Osage
Good luck!

Plant them so they will grow straight. In 80 years my grand kids will need fence post an wood for some bows.

How do you get that ball to look like seeds like that ?

Forestman3
You let the fruit sit over winter then pull it apart any take out seeds. Very messy job.

Does it turn you hands color like walnuts? I picked some of the seed balls up a few years ago for the 4 h forestry class. I red just grind them up into a past take a stick make a small furrow in the dirt about a half inch and xput the past in the crack and that's how the old timers made hedge rows. Then with some weaving and bending of branches as they grow you could make an effective fence to keep in live stock.

But that just something I read and have no idea if it's true or accurate.

I mashed them into water and then used a colander to strain them. I assume that the gel slows germination like with tomatoes, so I washed it all off.
What you described would likely work though. I'm planting individual trees and distributing seedlings to friends, hunting permission properties, and offering some to the regional scout campground.

Around here they rate right along with cedar trees, Russian olive, musk thistle..they will take over a pasture and ruin it if you don't keep after them.

“In 1855, 1, 000 bushels of seeds of Osage orange seeds were shipped from Texas and Arkansas to Illinois at as much as $50 per bushel.”

https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/osage-orange.aspx

About the same as autum olives.

Plant them as a wind break, fence line and property boundaries.

They are a hardy tree that can spread quite well and I kill hundreds of them a year but I like them. Very strong dense wood that's great for burning.

Didn't know anyone planted those intentionally

Make good fence posts and bows

I have a friend that found some posts that were in a certain type of soil (don't remember) and the posts took up minerals and things from the soil/ They call it green hedge and it makes some good looking duck calls. Also pretty pricey when you can find it

How fast do they grow?

I grew a few and they were fast growing. Probably a foot a year. Like a mulberry

I cut a hedge row in 1980 and they're just about too big to cut now.
The north and south rows grow straighter posts than an east to west row.. out farm had 3/4 mile of them.
Great firewood but you have to have a solid stove. They get HOT

I may just have to plant some. Would be a fun experiment to try to build a natural animal enclosure. I would have thought they were slow growing since they make such good fence post but black locust is fast and also good fence post and fire wood.

They grow back very fast when they already have an established root system.

Someone found a good use or the a few years back

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...-alcone-cosmetics-walter-white/74272426/

My experience is it takes 25-30 years for a new hedge tree to produce posts. Cut trees may produce posts a bit sooner. They make the best wood posts...but are earned - best to cut when it's cold and you can wear a lot of clothes for protection. If you are wanting posts, it is a nice trait they grow back. If not wanted to grow back, better hit them with some herbicide or you will have a mess.

They burn really hot, but in a campfire will pop a lot (keeps the fellow campers hopping). Squirrels like to eat the seeds while deer and cattle eat the leaves.

Osage Orange are one of my favorite trees, but can get out of hand.