Looking to move to Kentucky

[Ronald]

I am heading for the hills and interested in moving somewhere between Kentucky and North Carolina. One desire is to find acreage in a good maple sugaring community. What counties or areas in Kentucky are amongst the best for Sugaring ?


Thanks,
Ronald

[nace]

hi ronald, in western ky where the land was re-claimed after strip mining, i hear that maples are plentiful. my little 3 1/2 acres of woods, was cut for timber 40 years ago and i have 120 sugar maples. i don't know any one region where sugars are prevelant except perhaps western ky. but they are scattered all over the state.

[Sugar]

Looking kind of lonely over here...We are putting our taps in next Tuesday, Dec. 18....Right at noon. We are so excited!

[ericjeeper]

Looking kind of lonely over here...We are putting our taps in next Tuesday, Dec. 18....Right at noon. We are so excited!
Is this the time of year that you typically tap? I am so tempted to tap a few up here in Indiana, seeing how our season for late winter never comes.

[Stamford sugarmaker]

Man, I don't get it. I don't mean to get off topic but reading this post challenges all of what I thought I knew about sugaring.

In the Northeast, we generally tap at the end of February or sometime in March. I have even first tapped on April 1st (no joke). My thinking was that we tap then because the coldest part of winter was over and it was going to continue to get warmer, thereby creating optimum conditions for sugaring.

But if you tap in Kentucky in mid-December, does that mean it will begin getting warmer in your area starting now? Can Dr. Tim or somebody explain to me how this works?

And, by the way, last May we went to the Hatfield-McCoy riding area in southern West Virginia to ride dirt bikes. Great country down there!

[Sugar]

Well...Doesn't the sap flow, when the pressure is just right within the tree and the root system?...Freezing at night, above freezing during the day? Put in a couple trial taps and keep track. I do my little bit of woods and a friend's 40 acres. I can gauge how things will be on the 40 acres, by checking my fewer taps first.
The way the weather has been...Simply unpredictable...I am going for the recent prediction, starting next Wednesday and for at least 20 days..Freezing at night, thawing during the day. Maybe you could so some of your trees early and save some for later, until you figure out what works in your area. I don't think you want to stick too many taps in, and not get anything, and let the holes get infected. The Mennonites tap here in December and if the temps look good...Why not? It's all a gamble. I say I am a seed gambler, so guess a sap gambler as well...

Just have fun and do some experiments.....Maybe you will end up with some surprise fresh maple syrup for Christmas breakfast. How wonderful would that be?

[Sugar]

Is this the time of year that you typically tap? I am so tempted to tap a few up here in Indiana, seeing how our season for late winter never comes.

I would definitely give it a try. If you wait, your little window of winter, may stay closed. Good luck!

[afretired]

Sugar
This year is looking a whole lot like last year and I didn't have much luck in Green County. It's 52 degrees right now and raining, it sure doesn't get me in the mood for tapping trees. Maybe before long it will be freezing weather.

Dave

[Sugar]

Sugar
This year is looking a whole lot like last year and I didn't have much luck in Green County. It's 52 degrees right now and raining, it sure doesn't get me in the mood for tapping trees. Maybe before long it will be freezing weather.

Dave

Starting Thursday night, we have freezing night-time temps for about 20 days, with daytime thawing...That's what you need. Yesterday though, that favorable forecast had changed, but today it is back again. All I know is that evaporator will be here in 2-3 days....It's the freeze/thaw that you need...At least that is what I go on, until the buds come out. What do you use to decide when to tap?

[afretired]

Yes, it takes the freezing and thawing, but the problem is the week or so of 50 degree weather and then a few days of 25/45 degrees then back into the 50s. Last year we had the same thing and the sugar content was real low and it had an off flavor. I believe we need several weeks of hard freezing then the freezing/thawing cycle to produce good syrup.

David

[220 maple]

Last season I heard a rumor that someone who taps a few trees in the Charleston,WV area first run was off favor, probably bud sap from the start. I was afraid that I was going to have the same problem, I guess my elevation saved me, plus I am at least 200 mile north of Charleston. I have a sister who lives in Brandenburg,Ky., about 20 miles South of Louisville. Where is Green County? South of Louisville?

Mark 220 Maple

[afretired]

Yes, we are south of Louisville about 80 miles. This weather is killing us. They are giving out three nights of freezing ~27degrees and then three nights around 37 with the days ranging from 38 - 51 degrees. Has anyone else had problems with this type of weather?

David

[Sugar]

Yes, it takes the freezing and thawing, but the problem is the week or so of 50 degree weather and then a few days of 25/45 degrees then back into the 50s. Last year we had the same thing and the sugar content was real low and it had an off flavor. I believe we need several weeks of hard freezing then the freezing/thawing cycle to produce good syrup.

David

Have you collected sap yet? We are having a much better season than last year. Most of the syrup is very light. We have a bit of a warm up now, but temps are supposed to drop Monday night, so we are hopeful to keep on. We have 50 taps and so far have 93 jars of syrup, almost all 12 oz. jars. We are happy. We started Dec. 23, much earlier than last year, when we had 75 jars of maple syrup. The weather is definitely crazy though. Good luck to you. I know it is discouraging to wait and wait, for just the right conditions.