Not much sap?

[thecabinguy]

My maples were all tapped this week. I have 40 taps out. The weather seems to be perfect for sap flow, but there's been very little. A couple of huge maples are bone dry. Some of the trees ran some the first day that they were tapped, then slowed to nothing. Now the taps are dry. Had good sunny weather today. A few of them ran, but some didn't at all. Still not much though. Is this normal? I'm only on my second year and I'm still learning on the fly. Last year barely counts. I guess I'm wondering if I just need to wait and it will eventually pick up. I hope so, because I've got a nice new 2x6 arch that's begging me for sap.

Sapidiot, RI

[PerryW]

I'm guessing it didn't freeze hard enough in RI last night for a good run today. We only got down to 25 or so here in northern NH.

You need a freeze hard enough to walk on the puddles for a good sap flow. If there is just a skim of ice, you will get a little sap, then it will stop.

[JSEDLAK]

I had the same problem that night, I think it had to do with the temperatures. I live about 2 hours north of nyc and it got below freezing but just barely and not for very long.

[John c]

I understand your concern. When I went to collect my buckets today I was a bit confused when one of my buckets was overflowing, but the bucket only 10 feet away was bone dry. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I will just remain calm and see what tomorrow will bring!
Good luck to ya.

[couponqueen1]

@ John C. -
I had the same thing happen to me today while collecting, one was full and the next had almost nothing in it. I am new to this and am learning alot from this site. It is wonderful to read. Thanks everyone. We have 90 taps all on buckets. I think I am hooked!!!

[jmp]

I have been told that red maples especially can be hit and miss with flows. Unfortunately that is all I tap and just like you John C., some buckets were full and others were dry. Hard to make sense of it when the trees are all about the same size, have the same exposure, soils, etc. Gotta love Mother Nature!

[wkies]

Here is a link to a NOAA weather station about 100 feet from our sugar house. Sap runs have been ok. About a hundred a gallons off of 300+ taps. No crazy runs.

You'll notice that temps here (30 miles of NYC along the coast) have just touched below freezing for a short while - nothing sustained.

http://amazon.nws.noaa.gov/nexhads2/jsp/interactiveDisplays/createChart.jsp?nesdis_id=16D356C0&nwsli=STFC3&pe_code=TA

[thecabinguy]

Thanks for the imput guys. I'm getting a little worried because of this crazy non-winter we've had. There appeared to be no run at all today, though it did freeze up last night. I'm like, is that it. We got 8 gallons of sap. Now they've all stopped. Maybe I should go and kick them or something. Wake them up. Don't they know I'm going to need a lot more than that. It's going to freeze hard tonight. Maybe that'll help em.

[trea_bagger]

I'm in the hudson valley pretty close to a few of you guys, hopefully everything will flow today, last night went in to the teens-best night we have had in a while. In new to this too so im full of questions. The outlook for this week doesnt look good, mid 30's at night, mid 50's during the day 60 on friday...if the trees happen to bud is the season over, will the trees run at all? I hope not I only boiled this weekend for the first time this year.