Very mild winter - What to expect?

[Tomahawk]

I'm just wondering if it'll be worthwhile to tap and boil this year. Should I expect a much lower than usual sugar content?

Given my southern latitude, my sugar content is very low to begin with -- as a backyarder, am I looking at definitive disappointment?

Thanks guys! Good luck to everyone this year!

[Redmaple]

That depends on whether or not you want maple syrup.

[Fishgill]

Being that far south I would be tapping already. Before it's too late. Get what you can

[Tomahawk]

Being that far south I would be tapping already. Before it's too late. Get what you can

What's your best guess Fish, will my already-low sugar content be drastically reduced?


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[happy thoughts]

I'm just wondering if it'll be worthwhile to tap and boil this year. Should I expect a much lower than usual sugar content?

Given my southern latitude, my sugar content is very low to begin with -- as a backyarder, am I looking at definitive disappointment?

Thanks guys! Good luck to everyone this year!

Redmaple has the right idea:lol:. If you don't tap you won't get any. That said, I'm not sure that your latitude has anything to do with sugar content. From what I've read that's more dependent on species, size, location and general tree health. Maybe you just need to find sweeter trees. What species of maple are you using? If all the same species then just try other trees especially larger ones with nice crowns. Hit up the neighbors if you have to, with permission of course:)

[Tomahawk]

Redmaple has the right idea:lol:. If you don't tap you won't get any. That said, I'm not sure that your latitude has anything to do with sugar content. From what I've read that's more dependent on species, size, location and general tree health. Maybe you just need to find sweeter trees. What species of maple are you using? If all the same species then just try other trees especially larger ones with nice crowns. Hit up the neighbors if you have to, with permission of course:)

Good advice, thanks.

I'm working with a very small wooded area, I only tap 6 trees in total -- most are red maples, a silver or two mixed in and I think only one is a sugar maple. My sugar content is low -- it takes a little over 60 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.

I was always told that that is because of my southernly location but I realize that the particular species plays a major role as well. And I always look for trees with large crowns, although we had a crazy snow storm on Halloween that thinned a lot of the crowns.

I guess I'll give it a go. I realize I need to make a decision very soon.

Thanks.

[happy thoughts]

I guess I'll give it a go. I realize I need to make a decision very soon.

Well, if you need someone to talk you into it:)...... how many people in your zip code get to say they make their own maple syrup? That's worth something in itself. Besides, if you don't tap you'll still be reading these forums and you will become DEPRESSED, longing for what could have been. What's the going rate for a shrink these days?:o

That said, I'm not a big producer either. Though I now have plenty of trees to choose from I'm happy with a couple of gallons of syrup a year. 60 gallons/1 does sound like an awful low sap to syrup ratio. The reds I used to tap yielded anywhere from 43-48/1.

If you can get your hands on a sap hydrometer, it might be worth it to test sap from each tree individually to see if there are any really low sugar content trees. Even among the same species, some trees are better producers than others and supposedly that stays fairly constant when tress are compared year to year. My thinking here is that if you can weed out the lower sugar trees you may get less overall syrup but the work and production costs will make it more worthwhile.

Anyhow, go for it and have fun. To consider not tapping is just crazy talk, if you ask me:lol:

[wnybassman]

To consider not tapping is just crazy talk, if you ask me:lol:


No doubt. I'm tapping. Not sure if I'll pick the right time to or not (I'm still waiting) but rest assured some trees are going to get drilled. lol

[adk1]

man, I am out running the last of my lats. just came in for some lunch. this is a perfect sap day. sunny, no wind and 36 degrees. I am just itchingto drill some holes in those trees!

[maple flats]

The sugar in your sap is mostly related to the weather lest growing season. It takes sun and leaves to make sugar. Each tree species is different. Reds can often have as much sugar as surag maples if on a good site. The weather during the season generally controls how many gallons of sap you get. Your lattitude has very little to do with it except you might get fewer freeze thaw cycles.

[Fishgill]

What's your best guess Fish, will my already-low sugar content be drastically reduced?


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I don't know about that, but it looks like it's gonna be an early spring.