Trees in standing water question

[ldick]

Anyone have any experience with trees in standing water? Does it affect sap run? This year we tapped soft maples in river bottom. Got a couple decent runs and then river flooded. Trees are now standing in 5-6 ft of water (fortunately our lines are still above water). Weather turned cold just before the flooding but is supposed to warm backup today. Just wondering what to expect.

[spud]

About 25 years ago I tapped 300 or so trees on a lower section of my woods. The trees were on the edge of a swamp in real poor soil. Those trees were the worst producing trees I have ever had. I feel I wasted money on pipeline going after those 300 taps. I would never do it again.

Spud

[ldick]

Hope that is not the case with these. They aren't in a swamp, just a floodplain. Ground is dry most of the year and pretty good soil. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

[Tweegs]

Got 30 silvers in a low area. Last year I didn’t get squat out of them, not even enough to pay for the taps I put in. Of course, last year they were flooded.

This year they are dry and producing like gangbusters.

Really not enough data to support saying that the standing water caused the lack of sap production, too many other differences between this year and last, but if I were going to wager a guess, that’s where I’d put my money.

[slammer3364]

I had some in water not 5or 6 feet but they did very well --they were softs also but last nite my wife dumped some sap from trees we have tapped by small stream she said it was buddy sap which I dont believe with the weather we had this year I had some and I seen other people on here get brown sap after a hard rain also I have some softs tapped along a spring seep which sometimes flow like a creek and do very well too now Iam just talking maybe 25 trees total

[Russell Lampron]

I tap some red maples that are in standing water. I have them on vacuum tubing and can see that they run just like the other trees. I don't know how they would do on gravity but at least they have plenty of moisture.

[sapman]

I'd say maybe 1000 of mine are in the water, to some extent. Not a true swamp, hard bottom, and was dry from last June- November, which was unusual. But yeah, they run just the same. Biggest problem for me is that they bud/blossom earlier than the 600 sugar maple on the hill. I keep saying I'm going to get them early next year to catch the January thaw, as they should run well being insulated under the ice. But so far haven't accomplished that.

[Michael Greer]

I have a small grove of sugar maples that get flooded at this time of the year...just a couple of inches, but flooded enough that you can't walk in there without boots. They run nicely and test the same as others that aren't flooded. By contrast, that same grove can get as dry as dust in August...not a hint of moisture in sandy soil four feet down. I don't know how trees do it, but they keep on growing.

[ldick]

The trees ran good yesterday. Looks like the water doesn't have much effect. Back down to about 4 ft. deep now.

[Burnt sap]

I have some tapped in a small swamp wet 7 months out of the year no problems. Trees will not live as long as those on higher ground though.