when to tap???

[John Wiesner's Legacy]

I'm trying to decide when to tap. Should i tap this weekend and catch the small warm spell next week or should i wait. Last year has everything screwed up. Anybody else having this problem?

[Pete S]

Now, last year was an exception,................but we waited till "after" the first warm spell. We thought it would just pass, and then the holes would dry up.

Boy did we blow that!

Friends/acquaintenances made TONS of sap in that first run.

So we're going to be a bit more aggressive this year, but we're still under 40 taps.

[John Wiesner's Legacy]

We tapped the first weekend in March last year and missed the best run. I want to be more aggressive, but i don't want the holes to heal up to early. I think it has been cold enough that a short warm spell won't thaw out the trees much.

[Mikeh]

I'm putting my 40 taps in this weekend. Current forecast is for 33 Mon, 33 Tue, 36 Wed by my woods.

[chasesugarbush]

where are you located mikeh I know it may not b the warmest but im with you. I make maple syrup for my family and friends im out. I will be tapping on sat.
Good luck to all in the bush

[sticky bob]

I am planning on starting to tap Friday and hope for some sap next week!

[flying squirrel maple]

Woo nelly trees are frozen that 33 to 36 % temp isn't gonna do squat take a look at fifteen day forecast you may want to rethink your plans. Way too early unless weather man is way off. ✌

[Red-bellied Woodpecker]

We are starting on Monday and as fare as the forcast goes I put little trust in anything past 4 days.

[Mikeh]

Hi Chase, I'm in Amberg (North East). I trust the weather folks about as far as I can throw them. It could be a bit early but as far out as my NOAA forecast goes it's above freezing (Sun-Thr). Last year I had sap running when it was 32 degrees (that was mid season though). I'm using pails so I'm not as worried about my holes drying up. I also am only at my place on the weekends so if I don't tap this weekend, I have to wait till the next one and a lot can happen in between. Good luck everyone!

[cjmiller272]

Over the past three years whenever ive waited for the tell tale signs to tap the trees were already pouring sap once i drilled. 32 and up seems warm enough if sunny. Next week was calling 32+ all week with lots of sun so im tapping this saturday

[kraemerp]

Mainly because of my work schedule..although the weather is playing a big part, I am not beginning to tap until next weekend. It has been cold cold cold down here...we did have a few nicer days last week but not enough to break out the gear. I am ready to go though. Seems like we are still cold through next week and hopefully by the weekend in good shape

[TerryEspo]

If I saw temp anythng above freezing and sunny, I would tap. I have one tree tapped and its my "test" tree. Even when it is below freezing and sunny, a bit of sap drips, nothing to speak of, but I feel the trees are so ready.

It can be WELL below freezing and when the sun hits my truck, it melts ice and snow. The sun warms the trees if the full sun is hitting them.

For me,,,above freezing and sunny days,,,tap, tap, tap.

Its a better risk than losing lots of sap like last year, I feel.

Good luck.

Terry

[bison1973]

Extended forcast is already making me feel a little uncomfortable. No real sap weather to be seen... even 25 days out (now i know that far out forecasts aren't reliable). But nothing in the 10day.

[Rhino]

Gonna be a late start i think?? Buddy i talked to who lives in clark county told me when he buried his horse in late January there was 10 inches of frost when he dug with the backhoe, and we had lots of cold weather after that. He said he picked an area that had the most snow cover thinking it would be easy digging. Just think of what it's like around the trees being that they act just like fence post or anything else sticking in and out of the ground. Kind of like a lightning rod for cold to drive frost deep with so many cold days and nights. There was one year i remember we first made syrup the last day of March, I Don't keep records but i know Mark from Knapp Wis. does. maybe Mark can fill us in on when and what kind of conditions made that year so late. I can't remember how long into April the season lasted either.

[Pete S]

Them dern "southerners"!

We probably aren't that far apart cjmiller272, but the proverbial jury is still out.

I am not ready, but would be nice to hear a little "plunk, plunk,
plunk!

[WI Sugarpop]

We decided to wait til next weekend or so to tap. I think with the temps in the 32 to 35 degree range this week it will be good for the trees to start to warm up. It is quite wintery here yet and I don't want to walk the whole woods every day to collect 10 or 20 gallons of sap. I need 150 or so gallons to start up. It is hard to wait though!!!!!!! That is my opinion.
Pete, it's not 2010 anymore.

[Mikeh]

As I suspected, the NOAA report was a bit off. Thursday evening they forecasted a Sunday high of 33. I tapped my trees yesterday and some holes were wet. Today it got up to 38 and some taps were doing a drop every three seconds. Clearly not a lot of sap but the ones on the S side of the trees were dripping a bit. NOAA always tends to be forecasting low for my woods. Now they say it will be 36 on Mon, 35 on Tue and 35 on Wed. Hopefully it will be closer to 40 and I'll have some sap to boil this coming weekend.

[sap savage]

we are in irma and we put 280 bags together today and tapped the 3 trees rite out the garage door just to see what they do.They didnt start right away but 10 to 15 minuets later they were dripping slow. roughly the high temp here was about 34ish give er take some and caught some sun every 1nce in while. we are going to open the trails in the woods during the week and start friday night and finish them saturday! Is there anyone around here that has any trees tapped or thinking about tapping soon? good luck to all! happy sappin!

[chasesugarbush]

Tapped in on sat! Will see if the week will produce anything I will keep you up dated.

[markcasper]

Gonna be a late start i think??. There was one year i remember we first made syrup the last day of March, I Don't keep records but i know Mark from Knapp Wis. does. maybe Mark can fill us in on when and what kind of conditions made that year so late. I can't remember how long into April the season lasted either.

2003 had terrible deep frost, didn't gather til the 22nd, pretty good year, light syrup but got off flavored in April. Heavy runs in April.

2005 had bad deep frost, didn't cook until 25th March and then warmed quickly killing the season by April 8th, bad year but not a disaster like last year.

1989 was a cold spring, a neighbor of mine did not tap until April 1st, ran a shade more than 2 weeks but had a pretty good run in those 2 weeks. I don't know about the frost that year, but am I positive my neighbor did not boil until April 2nd that year.

[Rhino]

Thanks Mark, I guess all we can do is hope that the frost is being pulled out with the snow depth we got through February. Seems that your records show frost sure does make the seasons start later. Nice to read that sapsavage had trees that dripped a tad in Irma, Thats not to far from us.

[wshaw932]

i threw 100 taps out on a gravity line on saturday. ive read some research that says if you can catch the early runs, your holes will not dry up as much as you think, and early sap makes up the difference. im waiting to tap all of my buckets until the sap runs, but im not afraid of any consequences for tapping so early. the next few days will warm up a bit.

[WI Sugarpop]

My brother put in 2 test taps today on a yard sugar maple and he said he got one drip every 11 seconds. I'm glad I'm waiting for the good sap weather.

[sap savage]

today it was overcast pretty much all of day got around 30ish and not much sap flow maybe a little but not much in are 3 test trees

[maple flats]

At the Winter Conference in NY this past January, A session was presented titled something like "Beyond Basics". I forgot who the presenter was, but he was a biologist and a maple producer. He stated that the trees are not ready until a ring forms around the tree. If there is snow on the ground, solid cover, look for a bare ring to form around the tree, even if only 3 sides. That is when the trees are thawed for good flow.
I tapped my first 240 two days ago, starting 3PM. It was about 37 degrees and most holes ran a little when drilled, but after the first hour and about 120 taps, nothing had yet reached the tank, nothing was flowing into the releaser yet, in spite of 22" vacuum. The trees were not yet ready. The main this was checked on started about 8' from the releaser and sloped up hill about 2.5% for 470'. When the trees are ready sap will hit the releaser much faster than that. This being said, the time likely is very close, and we go to tap more tomorrow (I am in the center of NY state.)

[chasesugarbush]

collected tonight 11 gal out of 86 taps.

[sap savage]

we shall see what the day brings us!

[Pete S]

I just looked at the extended forcast for the Plymouth/Sheboygan County area and we won't see above daytime temps till well into March, like the thrid week!

[sap savage]

not muvh today again the overcast is whats killing us!

[jmayerl]

I just looked at the extended forcast for the Plymouth/Sheboygan County area and we won't see above daytime temps till well into March, like the thrid week!

Enjoy your snowstorm Pete, glad one finally missed us.

[sap savage]

not much again today
\

[chasesugarbush]

10 gals for two days just a pinch of sun would b nice

[kevintack70]

im tapping tommarow, i totally missed last year and im not gonna let it happen this year, last year was a fluke, between bad weather and my wife having some health troubles at the same time, so im pumped for this year! (like a kid in a candy store) I only tap 30, but im thinken on expanding to 75 next year

[WI Sugarpop]

I went outside and yes it's still winter and trees are not ready to tap. Maybe next week!!!!

[Pete S]

We actually heard the weather guy say something about a "steady increase in temperatures in the next week"!

[gouldjs]

First time solo mission for me, looking to tap on March 7th

[Rhino]

Also seen on local and national weather services that looks like the weather will trend up starting around March 7th for us. I will start tapping on Monday the 4th and hopefully get done with our line taps by the weekend. Might hold off on bags depending how long the warmup is going to extend past the weekend of the 9th and 10th. I see Andersons will start this week and also said if you have just a small amount of taps to put in you might want to wait a bit yet. (seen on facebook). Snow conditions here are knee deep so i will wear snowshoes, and yesterday as we were finishing up logging for the winter i picked a spot to check frost with the skidder and there wasn't much, so the snow depth is pulling or has pulled it out already.

[jmayerl]

I went outside and yes it's still winter and trees are not ready to tap. Maybe next week!!!!

Does that have to do with the 12"+ of new snow......

[WI Sugarpop]

Ya, we got hit pretty hard Tues. night in Sheboygan County. Lot of snow off the big lake. Still not sure if I should tap this Sat. or wait til next Fri. Gonna be fun in the woods with all that blowing snow.

[chasesugarbush]

Can't imagine sugarpop I'm 15 min northwest of Green Bay and last night going out to the bush which is 80 acres behind my house through fields on a farm lane I was pushing snow with the bumper of my jeep witch has a 4 inch lift. You guys got a lot more snow than what we did. Good luck I think the sap running weather is on it way!!

[sap savage]

really need sun trees would probably run if we had sun.

[sap savage]

tapping this weekend!

[Pete S]

From weahter.com

Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 30
Tues 31
Wed 33
Thur 39
Fri 41
Sat 40

Taps will go in on Sunday here at East Ridge Villa, in beautiful Greenbush Wisconsin!

Let the games begin!

[sweeteffinsyrup]

Heck yes Pete S! Sunday is game on!!!

[WI Sugarpop]

Hey Pete, I second the motion. We will be tapping 200 this Sat. afternoon. Let the sap start pouring out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pete S]

Me and Ma will need some snow shoes this year!

[syrup2make]

Will be tapping the weekend of March 9th.

[Jeff E]

Here in NW Wisc I have started tapping, actually a week ago. My goal is to be fully tapped by the time sap starts running, because it takes me several days to find all the critter damage/leaks and fix them. Like last year, I don't want to ease into the season. I need to be ready to run when the trees are ready to run!

So, over the next 4 days, I hope to tap another 1300 trees, fix the damage I run across, etc.

Go get it guys, as PATheron would say, you gotta WAAANT IT.

[kraemerp]

I am going to start on Sunday...still a little cold but looking good by Tuesday, and by all accounts/accuweather, perfect for the next 3 weeks. As Jeff put it " I want to be ready"

[John Wiesner's Legacy]

We are going to start saturday and maybe finnish sunday. Maybe finnish up some plumbing and then let it run!!!
Good luck to everyone this year!

[bearair]

Headed north in about one hour when my daughter gets out of school. Planning on cleaning the boiler, clearing trails and setting out the buckets. We are going to tap one week from today. Still lots of snow in the woods and for some reason the area the sugar bush is in is always about 5 degrees colder than in town. Let the fun begin.
Good luck to everyone and may we all have a productive season.

[Boomer]

This is my second year and we all know how last year went, so I'm hoping for more "normal" conditions this year. Plan on tapping Sunday, forecast for later in the week looks good.

Going to scrub my buckets this afternoon and get the evaporator home. I'll put in 25 taps and hope for the best. Hope I have enough wood cut!

Good luck everyone.

[WI Sugarpop]

Loading up the truck with tapping supplies right now and going out to the bush after lunch. Good luck to everyone tapping this year!!!

[Pete S]

Make sure you got something for over your ears! I was out clearing snow and bringing in wood,......and it's still a bit nippy out. LOL

[WI Sugarpop]

OK Daddy!!!:lol:

[Merklin Maples]

Starting to tap today. Will Put out 50 today and another 75 tomorrow. Like others, I want to be ready for what ever runs the good Lord gives us. Hope it better than last year. The wife and I finished (LOL)the sap house this winter. Can't wait to put it into action. No more mud.

[gouldjs]

Put out 15 Test Taps today....pretty dry in the holes.

[sap savage]

got about 20 tapped got 260 to go some trees running some not but still a little early going to tap during the week

[sweeteffinsyrup]

Put my 16 taps in yesterday around lunch time. Most were running then, but assuming not so today. 34 and cloudy here