Tapping in NH?

[Brian Ledoux]

Anyone in Southern NH or MA planning to tap in early February? Weekend forecast is saying high 30's during the day and teens at night. Anyone think that weather would be good to tap? Next weekend looks even better too. Getting very anxious!

[Amber Gold]

Don't tell me that. I'm not ready yet. At least two more weeks would be nice.

[Dill]

Yes there will be 2 days of slightly above 32 temps. But then its going to get cold again. It happens every year. Put down the drill and back away slowly.
I'm probably going to tap Lee the 19th and Northwood on presidents day. No sense in just having everything freeze up.

[morningstarfarm]

honestly, I'm probably going to start tapping friday...but, I'm the exception to the rules...all my trees are surrounding my hay fields..if you're looking at woods trees I'd hold off. I'm also right on the coast and we run about 8-10 degrees warmer than you do in manchvegas...

[DrTimPerkins]

Anyone in Southern NH or MA planning to tap in early February? Weekend forecast is saying high 30's during the day and teens at night. Anyone think that weather would be good to tap? Next weekend looks even better too. Getting very anxious!

Might run a little bit if it gets to be high 30s, but it takes trees that freeze down into the teens at night quite a while to thaw out and start to run. Your not likely to see much sap until it warms up above 40 daytime or is only mid-upper 20s at night with mid-upper 30s in the day (or a good warm sun to get them kick-started).

[red maples]

the one side of morningstar's fields does warm up earlier than everywhere else. but hold off a you won't get much. need that 40* mark like the doc says.

And its going to get cold again anyway. YOu have time yet don't worry. I am almost ready anyway maybe 1-2 solid days of work yet and I will be that is if the d@mn snow would hold off so I can get the stuff done!!!

More on sat then again next tues!!!

[morningstarfarm]

ok change in plans...5-8 more inches saturday...saw a sign on the baptist church asking whoever is praying for snow to please stop...temps look good for a little run but I sure don't want my buckets burried...unfortunately this season I'm going to be totally on buckets...the **** moose shredded all my tubing runs...waiting for fish and game to decide if I can have a couple damage tags to eliminate the pests...

[Homestead Maple]

Might run a little bit if it gets to be high 30s, but it takes trees that freeze down into the teens at night quite a while to thaw out and start to run. Your not likely to see much sap until it warms up above 40 daytime or is only mid-upper 20s at night with mid-upper 30s in the day (or a good warm sun to get them kick-started).

Doctor Perkins,
Is there any truth to the idea that the base of the trees have to have the snow melted back away from them a foot or so for good sap flow? I was thinking that with the amount of snow around the base of most trees right now, we would be looking at three weeks or more before the base of trees are free of snow.

[red maples]

I can say no!!! 2 years ago we had a pretty good snow pack at tapping time and I got good runs once the temp broke into the 40's, eben with snow right against the base of the tree.

Oh and if you get one of those little "pests" I'll take a few steaks!!!:) just kidding

[morningstarfarm]

lol if they let me remove one of those pests..you're gonna get more than a few steaks..the bigger one must go close to 900 lbs...the smaller 700...one heck of a pest..give me tree rats anytime:rolleyes:

[TapME]

That is a afull big tree rat, you need any help:) . Have experence

[red maples]

I haven't seen any while hunting deer but I did run across a scrape area when I was bow hunting in North Central MA on the VT border. A little scary Not like a deer where the buck rubs are you know 3-4 feet off the ground these were at least 8 feet and 4or5 ...8-9 inch round trees shreaded with 1-2 inch deep gouges taken out a little scary. It was Mateing season and didn't want any problems....I did look around because every thing was so fresh but kinda beat it out of that area.

[Dill]

We've had moose take out the fence at my parent's in Lee more than once in the last few years. The one we remember however is one morning they had a young bull in with the cows. He had jumped a low spot of the electric fence and got shocked when he tried to leave. So he just wouldn't leave especially once he found out about the round bale feeder. . My father ended up herding him out with the tractor.

[The Butcher]

good to see everyone keeping a close on on the site even with little activity!!!

I agree it is too early and they are calling for cold again next week.

I hope these huge swings in temps continue once we hit that 40 mark!!!!

It was -1 here this morning and now 31.

[red maples]

Yes those big swings would make for some awe-some runs!!! just have to wait and see I guess. 7* this morning and 35 later today!!! move that up 7* to 14* and 42* with dropping pressure your looking at fantastic run:):) oh one can only daydream for now!!! :rolleyes:

Don't see anything promising through Feb 14th as far as good sap temps. looks to be a late tapping date as of right now.

Hopefully finish everything I need to get done Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. including a cleaning of the tanks flood the evap with water for a good rinse wash and stock wood in the SH. and get the extension cords plug in too. missing a few though I might have to pick some more up they are burried under the snow for the x-mas lights!!!

[morningstarfarm]

AHHHHHHHHHHHH I couldn't stand it..I am soo weak so weak :cry::emb:I just had to drill that hole....its only one hole..I'm not a bad person...:emb:really..I will wait for the rest..really I promise...:D

[red maples]

INTERVENTION!!!!

HI my name is Chris and I am a mapleholic. Its been almost 330 days since I last fired up my Evaporator. I had a slip up I saw my drill on the work bench and something came over me. I just went out to a tree and kinda blacked out when I came to I was sitting in drilled wood shavings drooling on myself when I looked I drilled 32 holes in 1 tree.


:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Dill]

HA ha.
May we all take strength from your slip up.



So hows it running?

[farmall h]

I fondled the Tanaka tapper this morning! Shhhh, don't tell the wife.;)

[morningstarfarm]

pthbbbt....its running...:o:D I feel so much better now....gotta go clean out the 250 oz storage tank err umm bottle

[morningstarfarm]

OH MAN!!! I shoulda never done it..that one tap is running very nicely...3 gallon sack is almost 1/3 full...so much for easing the jonesing...when am I ever gonna learn:o:rolleyes:..at least I stopped the drooling and locked the drill up...

[red maples]

Oh I wanted to tap a tree today too... man its nice out!!! but cold weather on the move for the end of the week!!!

[red maples]

still watching the weather forcasts no good sap weather through Feb 16. getting closer though. The sun is much warmer 36* feels like a heat wave.

[morningstarfarm]

shoulda listened to my heart...saps been running hard the last 3 days...got a little over 2 gallons out of that one tap!...just to think if I had tapped all 400I'd be sweetening pans tonight...go figure...I'm thinking I'm gonna take the plunge between friday and sunday as time allows...should be all tapped by monday morning for the "forcasted" warmup...here we go...:o

[Brian Ledoux]

chris - you are not helping me! I was going to hold off and listen to the advice of everyone else who posted to this thread. Now I just might have to tap a couple trees. If nothing else, maybe I will tap a couple smaller trees, just to see what happens. Just to experiment....

[GramaCindy]

Oh BOY! I had to laugh at the posts here:lol: I have been itching to tap "just one tree" near the house just to see what would happen. It is my first year and I've got the itchy finger for the drill as well. Sad thing is, my evaporator isn't due to be here until early March, then I'll have to brick it. Need a temporary shelter for this year too….I have quite a bit to do yet! Wood needs to be split smaller too. YIKES! I guess I'd better hold off on that one tap for now.:cry:

[red maples]

Ah you got those field trees!!! No such thing here I have a few along the house but thats it. Warm up for monday??? what weather report are you watching??? mon 32 tues 33.

Oh geez monday valentines day!!! gotta get stuff for the wife and kids...good thing I just looked at my calender.

[Dill]

Accuweather is calling for sunday thru wensday of running weather, highs 38-45 and lows in the teens. I'm planning on putting holes in trees saturday and sunday, but only because I have people coming to help. Might as well take the free labor when I can get it. Plus those new fancy CV adapters means that I can tap in sept and still have running hole in july right?

[morningstarfarm]

looking at weather channel...should have running weather from sat on...hehe fortunately, if its sunny and 25 they'll run...the heck with it..I'm tapping tomorrow...the darn drill appeared on the counter this morning..spooky:D:rolleyes:

maybe I'll get lucky and have to boil monday night...I'd hate to have to miss taking the warden out for dinner on valentines...

[red maples]

Everything that I see is low 30's for the begining of the week???

I don't know I am using CV's this year on my vac. I can tap pretty much anytime starting end January with out sap loss although that study is still on going. I am still watching all the forecasts but I was planning on a feb. 15th tapping date anyway.

[Dill]

I cut a lower limb off of a sugar maple in the yard last Nov. Its still running. Heck it was soaked yesterday, so I guess I should just tap with a chainsaw and leave a bucket underneath.

[red maples]

yeah thats the way to do it!!!!:D

So I looked around and weather.com still says cold here for next week!!!!

everything else is as follows
Weather.com(weather channel) monday 34 snow then gets colder the rest of the week.
NECN Monday Partly cloudy 42
NOAA Monday 39 partly sunny
Accuweather.com mon 37/25 tues 37/28 wed. 48/28 thursday 49/25.

So SAT/SUN WILL BE THE DAYs!!!! and finish up get vac running and double check everything on monday!!!

I will be working hard to get everything done today and tomorrow.

See ya off to git r done!!!

[DrTimPerkins]

Is there any truth to the idea that the base of the trees have to have the snow melted back away from them a foot or so for good sap flow?

Not really. It would only be a problem if the snow were tightly packed around the base and frozen solid (ice)...such as might be the case if we got a hard rain on top of the snowpack and then it froze really hard. In general though, good snowpack means plenty of soil moisture, which is good.

[Dill]

Well in classic accu weather fashion the warm up is pushed back to Wens/thursday or next week or what's known as the tail end of the forecast.
So I'm going to run laterals and get ready this weekend. Hopefully finish moving wood, clean the sugar house and test boil.
Maybe leave work early on wensday and tap. But accuweather keeps teasing this break. First it was last weekend, then next sunday now wensday. I will predict it will be 80 June 12th. There if the prediction is far enough out no one cares.

[red maples]

Yep looks like the warm up isn't coming until thurs and fri. of next week!!! OOHH MAN!!!

[Brian Ledoux]

Started Tapping today. Tapped 23 trees. Hopefully can tap the rest tomorrow. Working full time, I won't have time to tap during the week, espsecially in the dark.

Evaporator is ready to go, only need to plumb up my feed tank. That is proving to be the most difficult task for me so far. Nothing seems to be the right diameter to fit the sap intake on my evaporator.