Late start????

[palmer4th]

So I know the old saying was tap around town meeting day but last year it was like the second week in January? So how is the late start with the flow going to affect the length of the season?

[Dill]

Town meeting day here is the 19th of March. And even the moderator who doesn't usually tap until election day is drill in. None of us wanted to miss what we missed last year. I still haven't got enough sap to fire up yet.

[Brian Ledoux]

I am still waiting for enough sap to start up the evaporator... am really starting to worry about what kind of year it's going to be this year. My biggest sugar maples and silver maples, some 4-5 feet in diameter either have not run or are barely producing anything... have only a handful of trees producing anything... is it the all the snow? Some of the trees there is no snow withing 5-10 feet from the tree but still not running. Scratching my head. what is going on? Anyone have thoughts?

[adk1]

I think everyone needs to be ready with as much ammo as possible thinking it will be a short season once it starts to warm up. We are in a blizzard here right now. No matter what the trees will need to start realeasing their sap for leaf growth, you just need to be prepared and ready for it

[palmer4th]

My trees are still packed with snow by their bases, and with another 8 in of snow today Im sure it will not speed things up at all!

[dgp219]

Last year was the only time recently I missed much in February. I started prepping the sugar house earlier than ever. I think we're all excited for this season to start running because last year was so bad. Hang on, it's still early!

[Hop Kiln Road]

I think this season is going to be a classic; everyone's sap flows will be above average and guys will be boiling into April. Hang on cause its going let loose in another week...right on schedule! Bruce

[adk1]

I think this season is going to be a classic; everyone's sap flows will be above average and guys will be boiling into April. Hang on cause its going let loose in another week...right on schedule! Bruce

I agree Bruce!

[Backyard Sapper66]

Bruce,
I very much agree!!!
When it does break loose we all better hold onto our buckets because it is gonna run like a river!!!
And those who enjoy their "boiling sodas" better be stocked up along with lots of caffinated beverages to keep the bodily functions moving into the wee hours of the morning.
Cheers!!!!
Doug
:)

[red maples]

Yeah bruce!!! The spring is gonna drag on in a good way. sap will flowing staight into april!!! My trees are still socked in with snow and ice ring stuck to the trees. was hoping it was gonna be a warmer rain yesterday but it is now worse than it was before.!!! beacuse everything froze up tight last night 18* here. but its now 43* in the sun. so hopefully that will help with that ice!!!

[3% Solution]

No such thing as a late start, Mother Nature knows what she's doing!
I think Red is right, we'll be boiling into April this year.
Hang tight boys and just be ready!!

[Brian Ledoux]

The posts about us boiling until april has me wondering... if I tapped mid-february, like many others on here, will all my tap holes dry up before the season is done? Last year I missed the early run. So this year I tapped early not to miss the early run and now I am afraid the snow and cold weather is going to cause me to miss the later part of the season!

[adk1]

The posts about us boiling until april has me wondering... if I tapped mid-february, like many others on here, will all my tap holes dry up before the season is done? Last year I missed the early run. So this year I tapped early not to miss the early run and now I am afraid the snow and cold weather is going to cause me to miss the later part of the season!

your no different than most this year. The folks that I help out are already tapped, finished up yesterday actually. they typically want to be tapped by the first of March, so I guess they are on schedule, they just started earlier so it wasent a huge rush at the very end.

[Mac_Muz]

Little 36 bucket hobby guy here. I tapped in Tamworth today. I got all new trees in the sun! Many of the 25 taps on the new lot spit in my face :D

Gotta have snow shoes on to get to these trees the snow is almost 3 feet deep or deeper. I got 10 buckets on the old lot in the shade, and only one tap hole got just wet.

Yeah that adds up to 35 taps... I lost one somehwere, and only have that bucket I can't hang. Maybe I'l come by a couple more buckets in a few days and by a few more taps.

Some of these new trees were dripping real hard, so if your anywhere neat Tamworth or in the Ossipee area NOW, is the time to get out.

IMO there will be a little run tomorrow and then nothin' a few days, but then the next weather break could be a pretty good run.

Of course i don't know nuthin' :o

[Cardigan99]

Nothing doing in Alexandria and the 5 day forecast isn't looking too promising. Below zero tomorrow and thurs nite. Last year we sweetend the pans on March 5th. If the weather doesn't break soon we won't start boiling until the 12th.

[palmer4th]

Brian I have the same queation! I did not want to miss out on the early run two weeks ago so I tapped! Will they dry up sooner now?

[SWEETSAP]

I can't say much for drying out but I suspect we will all be OK. A friend who taps 13,000 started last week of January. We tapped 180 on the 16th another 100 on the 25th and another 55 over the last week. We hope to have almost an extra 2 weeks on 55 of our taps. We do have vacuum and used check valve taps. All of our taps are frozen full of sap. We tapped another 25 today and they almost all gushed. The real problem for us is that they will all be frozen here until the nights stop dropping into the teens and low twenties. Our sap has no where to go, all of our laterals and mainlines (except one mainline with about 45 taps) are frozen solid. Yesterday all of our 5/16 was covered by so much ice they all looked like blue 1/2 inch mainline. Currently have a 120 gallon sapberg in our collecting tank and a 30 gallon sapberg in our feed tank.