north slope vs south slope

[ALSMAPLE]

I've read that a south facing slope is preferred over other exposures.I'm looking at a property with 2 or 3000 tappable trees,but with a northerly exposure.I understand that a south exposure will start to flow earlier in the season and earlier in the day. Won't a north facing slope just start later and run later?Does anyone have any experience in comparing the two or know of any research that's been done?Thanks for all the great information made available on this site! Alan

[GeneralStark]

There has been lengthy discussion of that here. Here is one thread:

http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=13519&highlight=south+aspect

There is so much variation on woods and climatic conditions each season so one year south could be better, and the next year north could be better. I have noticed considerable difference in my own woods which varies from steep and due north to gradual and ESE. The north trees definitely star running later than south, but the south dry up earlier. In terms of quantity of sap, in my woods ti seems to be about even, though I do think some trees in cooler areas run longer and give more sap.

It depends so much on your elevation, aspect, slope, soils, etc..., but if it is a healthy sugarbush it should produce well on any aspect.

[danno]

Where in NY?

If you were down on the thruway corridor where we torch, I'd love to have a high elevation or north facing bush.
If you are in saranc lake, with a north bush, you may not see sap till April. There, I don't think I'd want to face north.

If you're not sure of the sugar climate where the bush is loacted, I'd talk to some local sugarmakers.

[Mike in NY]

I wish we had more trees w/a southern exposure. Have about 150 taps that face that way, they start earlier and run heavier. Most of our taps have a northwest exposure. Takes a few more days for them to start in the spring and longer in the morning to start running. Amazes me how trees 1/2 mile apart can run so differently. Generaly get a couple days longer on the back end of the season w/ the northern trees

[Sunday Rock Maple]

I'm not aware of any research but we have three areas that tend to run later:
1) north slopes
2) areas along fields with high wind exposures
3) places where there is a lot of green timber (hemlock mostly)

In addition buckets on the north side of large trees tend to run later.

I've always thought that the earlier runners were nicer as that is when the overall quality is best.

A couple of thousand new taps on any slope sounds like a great oppourtunity --- best of luck with it.

[can'twaitforabigrun]

I was working in a sugarbush on a northwest slope last season, and it produced very well, as most of March had a few good days, but not very many, and then we had a warm spell the beginning of April, followed by a sugar snow mid April. Over 65% of our production was after the second week of April, since there was some residual snow on the slope that kept the root systems cold. A neighbouring bush a mile up the road was facing south west pulled their taps two and a half weeks before we were finished and had very low production compared to normal. It really does depend on the season. From what I've read in North Americain Maple Syrup Prod. Manual a south east slope is preferred as a south facing slope will run well early in the season and end quite early and a north facing slope doesn't warm up until the end of the day, when the prime hours for the tree to run are finished. With a south east slope the ground doesn't warm up as fast during the season, and you receive the first sun of the day from the east on the trees to ensure the trees start to run early in the day. In summary south east is supposedly preferred by the "experts", but it really does depend on the season, avg, snowfall, degree of slope, density of the sugarbush, etc. I would talk to other sugarmakers in the area as someone else has also said, and if possible wait 'till the end of sugaring season to buy out and work out an agreement to put in 40 -130 test taps throughout the bush in varied locations to see what the production is like and also have a hand held refractometer with you to measure the sugar content. (be sure to do this on several different trees as sugar content varies from day to day)

[Thad Blaisdell]

High vacuum is the ultimate equalizer. I have taps on all sides of the hill.... I made .5gallon per tap. Would not have without the vacuum I run.