Were we wrong???????????

[somershobby]

With all the excitement this year of the warm weather And lots of us going crazy with 50 degree weather in january, We all decided it was going to be an early season. So out we went with our taps buckets tubeing what have you and started a confusing season. Lots of people talking a quick end but noone getting any great flows. Well now that its a week after the true season was supposed to start my flows are picking up I getting sap from trees that were dry. Were we wrong?? Is the season going to be durring regular times and the trees are all standing tall laughing at us. :lol:

[happy thoughts]

I tapped a month earlier than I had planned. I was not sorry. And I still can throw in some more taps now if I want to. In fact I plan to. I think this may be a bonus year, at least in these parts. It's hard to tell with this weird winter but imho this season may prove longer than usual.

[judgejp]

I tapped at he beginning of Feb and have 10 gallons of varying grades so far. Will be reaming my holes this week and hope for 10 more in the next couple weeks .
Pat

[spud]

I would keep your spouts in to the last drop. You have nothing to lose and maybe a lot to gain. If you think the trees are laughing at you then turn the vacuum up.:lol:

Spud

[somershobby]

Oh I am definately not sorry I started early. I have about a gallon now and it is good. I was more commenting on the lack of flow from then to now. with lots of people writing in about thinking the entire season was going to go this way or that in there eyes the season was going tobe a bust and end early. I still see the reds are about done the buds are almost full out but as for the rest i will keep the taps in and collect untill i dont get any more. my hope for six gallons this year are not out of reach yet and i think this year i will get more.

[thecabinguy]

Wow, I'm glad some of you are having a decent season. I've been tapped since early Feb and have collected only 8 gals of sap off of 40 taps. I tap mostly reds and most of them have put out very little to none this year. I keep reading about everyone's sap flows and I wonder why I'm not getting any. My version of a good sap flow is about 2 cups of sap. It's really sad. Now they are already starting to bud. I kept hoping that one day they'd really start to pump out the sap but it just never happened. I guess this just was not the year for red maples. Sounds like the sugar maples weren't as affected by the strange winter here. I don't know, but it's quite depressing. Again, glad we haven't all been sapless. Happy boiling.

[PerryW]

probably depends where you are. The guy down the road has been tapped for almost three weeks and hasn't made any syrup. My season usually starts on Mar 10 or later. Looks to be right on schedule for this year.

[SeanD]

Always keep in mind where people are when you read posts about timing. A guy talking about getting ideal conditions in southern CT while a guy in Vermont says he's waiting another three weeks are very likely both right.

Sean

[thecabinguy]

My taps actually started flowing good today. With the exception of some of the big reds. They were dripping a bit though. They seemed to be picking up as it got dark. Maybe they aren't quite done yet. The way some of them were flowing, I may get a good amount to boil next weekend. That's a little more encouraging. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
May the sap be with you.

[maple flats]

In CNY I was tapped by 2/7, the earliest ever by 3 weeks. My first GOOD run was 2 days ago, and both of my bushes have vacuum.

[sugarwoodacres]

NJ is all but done . 100 taps averaging 8 gallons of sap per day . Maybe 20 degree temp tonight and tommorow can get a run . Tapped Feb 7th ...2and a half weeks and done .

[jmp]

Hope you get some more runs sugarwoodacres! Keep the faith!

[highlandcattle]

Hey Dave, looks like you are one busy guy! How's the evaporator doing? Ron wants to know how much vacuum you're pulling? Ours does 17 on the redone Alamo. It was gushing today! Sudden snow squall turned the sap to slush in the tubing in seconds! It was amazing to watch. What do you predict for a final count gallon wise? We're averaging 50-55 gallons of sap to get 1 gallon of syrup. Way ahead of last year though. We hadn't even started! Boy, running that tubing across the pasture really did it. Saves so much work. Take care.

[Chainsaw Baby]

Okay, I'm southern Ontario... Tapped on Thursday and Friday (March 1 & 2) and it ran a bit on Saturday, enough to charge the lines. It is 14F and I'm not going to get my first run until Tuesday... There is 3 - 4 feet of snow in the bush. Hoping to start the evap on Wednesday.

Sad to hear it is closing down, down south. Come on up to Ontario and help me out!