Is a tap the same as any other tap?

[Starting Small]

If I tap a tree, say 12 inches in diameter and tap a tree 30 inches in diameter, if each tree only has one tap will they produce the same amount of sap or will a larger tree generally produce more sap from a single taphole? In other words are smaller trees (12 inches) worth tapping?

[Redmaple]

12'' trees are worth tapping. Just put a larger tap in the 30'' if you only want one tap in it.

[wnybassman]

It's been my experience that over the course of a season a single tap from a larger tree will produce way more sap than from a smaller tree. Smaller trees will give up sap faster when it starts to get warm, then the larger trees will do better when temps begin to cool off.

[mapleack]

Every tree is different. I tap down to 8" dbh trees, and have seen an 8" tree produce double that of an 18" tree, and the opposite as well. Don't use a larger tap in a larger tree, stick with 5/16" taps no matter what, less complicated, the trees heal faster and you'll get the same amount of sap! An easy guideline for when to add a second tap is to hug the tree, if your fingers touch it's still too small for a second tap!

[fresh spout]

no need for a bigger tap, stick with 5/16" across the board. It is becoming industry standard, and your trees will appreciate it too. They heal faster and studies have proven that you do not gain any less sap.

[bowtie]

i actually switched to mostly 7/16" taps this year becuase they work better with my aluminum buckets. i don't buy the idea that 5/16
are better for the tree. for many years 7/16 have been used and the trees are still "healthy". if one two inch branch breaks there is more damage and sap lost than a couple of taps. as for mulitple taps i do not put more than two in any tree but i have seen and talked to producers that put as many as 7-8 in a big tree and have for years. if done right i can not believe that 2-4 in a big tree is any worse than 1 in an 8-10" tree. most old timers say they would not tap a tree under 12-15". look at vaccum, you literally suck the sap out of the trees and get unnatural amounts of sap. political correctness should not play a part in this, if they are your trees you can do what you want to them.

[mapleack]

When I started sugaring, from 5 years old up until about 15, we like everyone else were using 7/16 taps. I'd guestimate that approximately 40% of the tap holes would heal shut in one year, with the rest taking 2 years to completely close over. We made the switch to 5/16 when they came out in the mid 90's and I'll say first hand what a difference. I would say that at least 95% of the tap holes are closed in the first year, with many of them being shut by the end of June. I believe that tree health is the single most important aspect of sugaring if you plan on doing it for years or building a legacy for your children. Using 5/16 taps and conservative tapping practices are the easiest and most effective way to promote and improve tree health. No offense, but a limb breaking off is something a tree can compartmentalize a lot easier than multiple 7/16 holes. Anyone hanging 8 buckets on one tree is doing nothing but killing their tree and probably getting less sap than they would with two buckets. I've been in other sugarmakers woods who were grossly over tapping with 7/16's and seen upwards of 4 unhealed holes per tree, some obviously two to three years old. I have no doubt due to declining tree health from over tapping. To each their own, but I'll take the modern technology, healthier trees and bigger sap yields.

[happy thoughts]

Well said mapleack. With an attitude and approach like yours, I have no doubt your family will still be sugaring for at least another 4+ generations :)

[Clarkfield Farms]

An easy guideline for when to add a second tap is to hug the tree, if your fingers touch it's still too small for a second tap!

To borrow a line from "Braveheart:" "Some men are longer than others." :) But, that's close enough; works in the woods... ;)

[mapleack]

To borrow a line from "Braveheart:" "Some men are longer than others." :) But, that's close enough; works in the woods... ;)
Indeed! I've got average to long arms, while my brother practically has ape arms, if we let him do the checking there wouldn't be any two tap trees!

[Clarkfield Farms]

lol! yep, I may be similar to your brother -- when I used to box, my "wingspan" was so long that they gave me the nickname, "wing."

[mike z]

I agree with using the 5/16 taps, but have not found a decent one to use with AL. buckets and pin style covers. I love my maple trees but not enough yet to start hugging them. I will pat one from time to time.

[Michael Greer]

Great discussion. Now among these new 5/16" taps, which are the best...in your opinion.

[TimJ]

i actually switched to mostly 7/16" taps this year becuase they work better with my aluminum buckets. i don't buy the idea that 5/16
are better for the tree. for many years 7/16 have been used and the trees are still "healthy". if one two inch branch breaks there is more damage and sap lost than a couple of taps. as for mulitple taps i do not put more than two in any tree but i have seen and talked to producers that put as many as 7-8 in a big tree and have for years. if done right i can not believe that 2-4 in a big tree is any worse than 1 in an 8-10" tree. most old timers say they would not tap a tree under 12-15". look at vaccum, you literally suck the sap out of the trees and get unnatural amounts of sap. political correctness should not play a part in this, if they are your trees you can do what you want to them.

The wound size is significantly larger with the larger tap. Vigorous healthy trees can probably handle a lot of abuse, but there is no question that the smaller taps are healthier for the trees.