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View Full Version : Ontario Crop Report fo March 5......- Read and comment



TwinBay
03-05-2012, 07:37 PM
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/updates/maple/2012-03-05.htm

Sap flow summary February 29 to March 4

Most syrup producers in later areas of the province have now finished tapping their trees. Last week, weather conditions were not ideal for good sap flow. Several small to moderate sap flows were reported in many areas of the province before very cold weather moved in over the weekend, stopping sap flow. Many producers have produced mainly extra-light and light grades of syrup this year. Medium grades began appearing by mid-week and over the weekend. Producers in early southwestern areas report they have produced from 50% to 75% of an average syrup crop so far this year, however believe their sap collection may end soon. Producers in Lanark county and eastern regions report medium grades this past week.

In earliest regions of southwest Ontario and along north shore Lake Erie, dormant buds on soft maple trees began swelling. Syrup producers who tap soft maple trees stopped collecting sap where buddy off-flavours have started to show up in the earliest areas.

Extended forecast for March 5 to March 11

Cold weather in central, north and eastern areas at the beginning of the week has left sap tubing, buckets and sap collection tanks frozen. Warmer thawing temperatures are expected early in the week and may become too warm for sap flow until mid-week.

The long-term weather forecast predicts that good sap flow conditions will occur towards the end of the coming week in many areas of the province, where adequate thawing occurs. Early areas may see 1 or 2 sap runs, while conditions around St. Joseph Island look excellent for sap flow this week. Northeastern regions near Algonquin, Petawawa and Ottawa will remain very cold at night and syrup producers in eastern and northern areas may not collect significant amounts of sap until late in the week or next weekend.

In earliest regions in southwest Ontario, Niagara and along the north shore of Lake Erie, syrup producers should now be monitoring all fresh sap for buddy off-flavours. Buds of soft maple trees are now swelling in earliest areas and sap will have buddy off-flavours. Sugar maple trees usually begin to break dormancy one or two weeks after soft maple trees. In mid to late areas of the province, buds on sugar maple trees remain dormant and trees remain in good condition for sap collection.

Syrup producers who are new to the business should talk to an experienced syrup maker, to learn to identify the distinctive buddy off-flavour in fresh sap, which will signal the end of sap collection for the year.

ca2devri
03-05-2012, 08:04 PM
I'm north of Lake Erie (St.Thomas) but I'm surprised to hear that the season will be ending soon. I know we're getting some warm weather Wed/Thursday but it looks like it is back to normal by the weekend (below zero at night again). How will I know if the sap is no good? I am tapping only sugar maples, so will I still be getting good sap by the weekend?

Chris

jmayerl
03-05-2012, 08:25 PM
I would love to know how to detect buddy sap. last year I checked and cook sap daily in the end of the season. I never noticed a difference in any of the sap. Then when boiling a batch it became very apparent that the SYRUP was off flavored.

MustardSeedMum
03-05-2012, 09:42 PM
That sounds awfully early to be calling it end of season for the southern parts.

But the temps in our area (I'm in Erin) look grim as well.
Gosh, I hope we still have a good amount of time left. I haven't made much at all.

On a side note, yesterday (Sunday) was a frigid -6 with windchill. I was outside boiling all afternoon & kept hearing a bird chirping away overhead in one of the trees. Now I'm not good at identifying birds by their calls. But I'm pretty sure it wasn't a winter bird, if you know what I mean.

And I can't remember who it was who mentioned in another thread that he's seen the swans back - which makes them 3-4 weeks early.

So the signs are indicating an early end. But I'm still hoping that the season is not lost yet.

TwinBay
03-06-2012, 06:24 AM
The swans have been swimming in Georgian Bay, near Port Severn for the past 3 weeks.
We even had a goose stay the winter in front of a tiny dam in Parry Sound, sucker never left.
Lets just pray that spring slowly ushers in.
We still havent boilde a drop this year, but hopefully temps cooperate Thursday.

argohauler
03-06-2012, 07:34 AM
Should we expect syrup season to be normal when winter wasn't?

It was one of my fears that it would warm up and stay warm, which the 2 week is forecasting like 2010 was.

I should have been tapped in January I guess, but that's just wrong.

I haven't had any big runs yet. It's either too cold to run well or as soon as a cloud enters the sky it doesn't freeze at night. Thankfully it hasn't been in the 50's yet, but that will come Wednesday.

I haven't had any buddy syrup and I'm a couple miles from the lake. The soft maples look pretty tight to me. My syrup just started to get a good maple flavour last Tuesday and moved into mid medium.

If the season ends by this weekend, I'll be a hurtin unit.

Bruce L
03-06-2012, 07:57 AM
-5 fahrenheit here this morning,(though I am Eastern Ontario),soft maples pretty tight here also.I don't hold much faith in long range forecasta,this is the same forecaster that told us we were going to have an old fashioned Canadian winter.Last night forecast for Wednesday was +15,this morning less than 12 hours later has dropped to + 11 next throw of the dart for guessing could be much lower,we'll take whatever we can get and hope for the best

TwinBay
03-06-2012, 08:31 AM
Totally agree.
I love when they forecast 60% chain of rain.
Thats 10% more than 50%, which means who knows.
Must be rough being a weather prognosticator at a dinner party.....

MustardSeedMum
03-06-2012, 08:51 AM
It was one of my fears that it would warm up and stay warm, which the 2 week is forecasting like 2010 was.

2010 was my first year. I remember that march break, everything stopped running, the flies were everywhere because it went into the high teens.
I thought it was over. But my "sugar lady" (the person who did my forest management program, and also a sugar maple expert) advised me to keep my taps in.
Sure enough sap started running again for another 2 weeks...I finished my season at the end of March, but more because I was exhausted and not because the sap had turned buddy.

Teuchtar
03-06-2012, 11:41 AM
Is there a Quebec equivalent to the Omafra report ?

ennismaple
03-06-2012, 11:52 AM
We've got so much snow in the woods and ice on the lake that I'm predicting a normal season in our part of Lanark County. Over the past 10 years we've ended our season an average of April 13, ±4 days with only one exception. We should have at least 4 weeks of good sap flows still to come.

ca2devri
03-06-2012, 08:45 PM
Looking at one of the yard maples I've tapped and it's buds were definitely very swollen today. I thought it was a sugar, but it might actually be silver. The rest have fairly tight buds still, but I'm guessing they can't be far behind. I supposed the season might be over next week. I've done ok so far, but only 3 weeks of sap. I could have tapped sooner by 2 weeks as it turned out. What a weird winter!

I have friends tapping near Ottawa and they have had no more than a dribble so far. Normally we have different weather, but this year it's like we're on different continents!

Chris

can'twaitforabigrun
03-08-2012, 01:41 AM
Overall it has been a strange winter for much or southern Ontario. It looks like it may be a short season for those who had little snow pack this winter. The season in central (Lanark, Algonquin and Huntsville) and northern Ontario will be very dependant on the weather next week. Most forecasts are predicting highs between 8 and 12 above and lows of 2 degrees on either side of freezing. If the low temperatures drop a few degrees, the season will start off with a bang with lots of sap next week and continue on. On the other hand if temperatures remain how they are currently forecasted or turn out even warmer, we could see the snow pack disappearing very quickly, with a few good days next week and the season being very short. I'm hoping Ennis maple is right and that the season (which is just starting for most of us) lasts through March and into April, but I am having my doubts on how good this year will be, especially after seeing the above normal temperature anomalies that are predicted: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/spring-coming-early-for-many/62455 http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/a-look-into-next-week-1/62502 Does anyone know how the season is coming along in Vermont and Quebec? If they have only just started to make syrup, they could see a very short season, and therefore bulk prices could return to the highs that were seen a few years ago and Quebec may have to dip into their reserves to stabilize prices.

Asthepotthickens
03-08-2012, 06:40 AM
75 taps only 30 gallons. Was thinking closer to 70. Strange.