To tap it, or not to tap it? That is the question.

[SilverLeaf]

I tapped a few Boxelder trees last year, kept the sap separate, and the resulting molasses-flavored syrup was a big hit. So I want to do that again this year. I've only got a few Boxelders, though, and so each one's important. And so here's my conundrum:

Last spring I was clearing out brush around some of my trees, and I cut down what I thought was a little sapling (1" diameter). I applied roundup to it, walked away and didn't think anything of it. Next day, however, all the leaves on the adjacent (6' away) Boxelder started shriveling up. :o oops! Not sure if it was a sucker or what, but obviously the roots were interconnected.

Boxelders are tough buggers though, and as it turned out it wasn't a mortal wound - it made it all the way through the summer. There was a little branch dieback right away (~10%) and then after that most of the rest of the tree was ok, albeit with slightly shriveled leaves.

I apologized profusely to the tree, and made my peace with it, of course vowing at the time to give it a year off. But you know how it goes, winter's here, I'm starting to get a little itchy trigger finger on that cordless drill, and starting to think, "what's a little 5/16" hole gonna hurt...?" And I think the tree is starting to suspect I'm up to something... ;)

So, here's what I''m thinking:
1) Safety. This is really the main question for me. I'm assuming that whatever toxins the tree ingested from the Roundup last spring have moved their way out of the tree by now, and the sap would be safe for human consumption. Right?
2) Sugar content. I assume the sugar content will probably be low. With the shriveled leaves last summer I don't think it was able to absorb a normal amount of sunlight. If this is so, it's not a big deal.
3) Tree health. The tree is obviously in a weakened state. And so I'm sure giving it another year to recover would be the best thing. The thing is, Boxelders grow like weeds around here. I only have a handful of tappable ones, but there's 50 more that would be tappable in 10 years if I didn't cut them down. So I'm willing to take the risk on this one. (Shhhh! Don't tell the tree I said that...)

Thoughts?

[ADKMAPLE]

I would give it the year off.

[whalems]

I would tap it.:)

[adk1]

you should be able to check the brix without even tapping it. just use a small awl (sp?)..you only need a drop!

[collinsmapleman2012]

i too, tapped boxelders a couple years ago. i do know that they are hard to kill trees, and i once (forgive me please i was young and stupid) hacked at a few with an axe and did all sorts of things to it. it lived, and is still living today.
i would say tap it, anything in it should be gone why lose a good tree

[C.Wilcox]

How big is the tree in question? If it's a large tree I would say tap it on the opposite side. If it's a smaller tree I would leave it alone.

[Ausable]

Silverleaf - My advice would be to never tap it or turn your back on it or walk near it. Boxelders are a mean, old, street wise tree with a long memory and it is just sitting there on its roots - waiting to even the score. I would guess it has a couple of gallons of a Roundup and Boxelder juice mix stored away - just hoping you tap. For sure - it has a couple of old limbs just a waiting for you if you get to close and then throw them at you. Just leave that Old bugger alone cause it aint worth the risk. -- Best of Luck -- Mike

[SilverLeaf]

How big is the tree in question? If it's a large tree I would say tap it on the opposite side. If it's a smaller tree I would leave it alone.

about 10" DBH. Not too big. But she gave me lots of sap last year, which is part of the reason I don't want to let 'er sit idle....

[SilverLeaf]

Boxelders are a mean, old, street wise tree with a long memory and it is just sitting there on its roots - waiting to even the score.

I'll be lookin' over my shoulder, for sure! She'll probably play mind games with me first, I don't doubt....

[Ausable]

Ok -- So I approach one of my maples that I have tapped for years and years and as I size it up to tap - I circle the tree looking up and down and all I can see are old healed over scars - With no clear path for a new tap. What do You suggest I do - retire this old tree or tap it in line with the oldest tapping scar I can locate ---- appreciate Your input --- Mike

[Revi]

I would say tap it.

Roundup doesn't last long and the tree has probably forgiven you by now.

We have some of those in town here, but none at our woodlot. They seem like a very hardy tree, so you aren't going to hurt it with a little taphole.

[3rdgen.maple]

Ok -- So I approach one of my maples that I have tapped for years and years and as I size it up to tap - I circle the tree looking up and down and all I can see are old healed over scars - With no clear path for a new tap. What do You suggest I do - retire this old tree or tap it in line with the oldest tapping scar I can locate ---- appreciate Your input --- Mike

You mean to tell us that you have tapped every inch of that tree as high as you can reach and as low as you can bend over? What did you do put like 10 taps a year on it? :D Just go higher or lower theres a sweet spot there somewhere.

As far as the Boxelder if you are questioning it I think you already have your answer, give it a year. A dead tree or poisened syrup why chance it.

[maple flats]

Silverleaf - My advice would be to never tap it or turn your back on it or walk near it. Boxelders are a mean, old, street wise tree with a long memory and it is just sitting there on its roots - waiting to even the score. I would guess it has a couple of gallons of a Roundup and Boxelder juice mix stored away - just hoping you tap. For sure - it has a couple of old limbs just a waiting for you if you get to close and then throw them at you. Just leave that Old bugger alone cause it aint worth the risk. -- Best of Luck -- Mike

I'm with Ausable, I would never risk tapping that specific tree. You never know if some chem residue could be in the sap. Just tap others. Box Elders grow fast, the others will be much bigger in just a few years. Based on my experience back in the 70's with box elder, I think you can tap more heavily than on sugar maples. I used to put 6 and 6 buckets on trees with 18-25" trunks. The holes healed real fast in the summer and they grew fast enough that I did not ever run into an old tap hole. They were almost impossible to find old tap holes after 6-7 years. I did not tap every year, we made 3-4 gal a year and that would last us long enough that we didn't make it again until the 3rd year. The trees are all gone now because huge limbs kept breaking off with heavy wet snows in March and early April so we cut them down.