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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Maple sugar

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Bshugarts

03-13-2006 17:44:05




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I have not seen any one post about the run this year. Our run started last week. seems slow this year.




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Bshugarts

03-16-2006 18:12:13




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 Re: Maple sugar in reply to Bshugarts, 03-13-2006 17:44:05  
We are located in catt county new york with about 4000 taps have made about 45 gallons this year pretty poor return for all the work and money spent. seems hardly worth it at an cost of about 5.00 per tap.(tubing Taps mainline vacuume pumps fuel oil saptanks and too many small things to mention) o well thers always next year.



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phil lowe

03-14-2006 06:33:52




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 Re: Maple sugar in reply to Bshugarts, 03-13-2006 17:44:05  
I was hoping to show my step-son how to make maple suger this year,bought the spouts ,buckets and book on how to ,,ubt having ,,,,,little trouble figuring out which are my oaks and which are my maples out back ,,,looked at the bark ,,,,the buds ,the way the branches grow ,,I'm still questioning ,,most leaves I see on the ground are oaks ,,,heck even got oak leaves still on some ,,still can't for sure tell,,,we had some great days "Last" week ,,cold nighths ,warm days ,,but now we're into spring drizzle for the next week ...I did say I was gonna mark my maples last fall ,,,but think I was working on my tractor that day!!!oh well think I missed the window ,,I'll be geared for next year ,,,

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jdemaris

03-14-2006 19:37:23




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 Re: Maple sugar in reply to phil lowe, 03-14-2006 06:33:52  
What kind of oak trees do you have? We've only got red oak or white oak, and there's no mistaking either for a maple tree - the bark is different and so is the shape of the tree. I do screw up between maples sometimes because with no leaves, the red (soft) maples can look pretty much like a hard maple. Still no big loss, the reds are still sweet, just carry more water.



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phil lowe

03-16-2006 13:06:49




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 Re: Maple sugar in reply to jdemaris, 03-14-2006 19:37:23  
hi there ,,regarding your inquiry ,,I'm not saure what types of oaks I have ,,,all I really know is where my birchbark trees are ,,,,I've looked at the bark and thew way the tree branches grow ,,,but not seeing how to distinquish ,,,,, I will mark them when the leafs get on though ,,you cxan be sure !!!!
Pretty bad for a Canadain not to know what our national tree looks like eh!!!!



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jdemaris

03-14-2006 05:56:21




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 Screwy winters and springs in reply to Bshugarts, 03-13-2006 17:44:05  
Seems every year it gets harder to decide when to start drilling. Winters here in Central NY have been kind of weird, and this year it's the warmest I've ever seen. Here, and in northern Vermont, we used to have a few warm spells in between the normal cold weather - so most of the time the trees were frozen and the holes would keep. Now, it's the opposite - we get cold spells in between the warm weather, and the tree bacteria grows pretty fast. Sap was running in January and February, and it's running right now (slowly). If I drill, and winter comes back (and forth), the holes will heal up before the season's run is done. I had to drill twice the past couple of years. I can see why dosing trees with formaldehyde was so popular (heard it still is in Canada). We used it all the time in Vermont during the 60s - and that was with cold winters and springs, but it's no longer legal. Yesterday it was 60 degrees by mid-afternoon. In 2002, I tapped Feb. 19 and was done March 21. In 2000, March 3 - March 22. In 1999, I didn't tap until March 25 and it ran through April. Last year there was a major run in early Feb, but I refused to tap that early - snow was so deep I could hardly get into the woods anyway. If the weather keeps up with this trend, maple sugaring won't be worth the effort in this area anymore. I'm in central New York, but I've also got a sugar woods in the Adirondacks in Hamilton County. I've read some recent studies that the sugar maples are dying there - for reasons not yet explained - but the warmer weather is suspect. There are "experts" now - mostly from the academic world, suggesting that trees be tapped all winter long and use the new, smaller taps so trees will suffer less damage - I think they're 1/4" instead of 7/16" What they don't explain is the labor involved in maintaining a sap-line all winter - it's d*mn near impossible - at least not on a cost-effectice basis. Many big producers have to hire temporary workers for sap-season - so you need some sort of time-frame.

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51Pony

03-16-2006 15:38:18




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 Re: Screwy winters and springs in reply to jdemaris, 03-14-2006 05:56:21  
Just outside Syracuse and drilled two weeks ago. Got a little and then been froze up or too warm for a while. I think the run may be just once up the tree and short this year. Only run 25 taps like my grandfather taught me. Enough for the family and a few gift bottles.



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