Need insight on tapping trees with severe drought in 2012

[yackattack43]

I was wondering if anyone has experience or recommendations on tapping when there was a severe drought in Minnesota in 2012. We certainly don't want to stress the trees. Thanks in advance.

[Michael Greer]

It's a good question, and I think it's all guesswork from now on. Will last year's drought be followed by another? How many drought years can the forest endure? For that matter, do we really know what effect tapping has on the trees year to year.
I rolled around all of these kinds of questions this year too, and finally decided to put fewer taps into the big trees and find some more trees to make up for the perceived loss. Giant trees that used to get four taps only got three this year, and some that got two last year only got one this time around. In the end, I hung more buckets than ever, walked a bit farther, and made a LOT of syrup. We've had good snow cover in northern New York, a few more snows, and a bit of rain, so the drought seems impossible from here. Still, everyone knows that July will probably be a different story. I carried water to six new trees last summer, and I have spots picked out for eight more, so I'm pretty committed to watering....as much as it takes.

[longbeard]

Sounds like you did the right thing following the drought of last summer. Our Ag and Food specialist warned us before the season to take it "easy" with the trees and tapping this spring due to some stress from last summer. Using less taps per tree is good and safe for the long term - I will take my taps out "early" this year as well. Lots of snow and rain last fall so trees should be better off than last year?