budding pattern

[Galena]

Interesting how the trees I tapped this year are budding out. The ones I used tubing on, #3 and #4 still haven't popped yet, ditto for tree #7 which did pretty well this past season. The trees I didn't tap are fine and fully of the fluffy hanging-down-thingies (as you can see I am very up on my tree terminology ;-) as are the two best trees, #2 and #6. #9 also came through nicely.

Does anyone else notice different patterns like the ones I'm seeing? Should I be concerned about the ones that are late budding out?

[heus]

I highly doubt that it has anything to do with your tapping. Probably just location. I have noticed all of the sugars in my neck of the woods are extremely "flowered" out this year. Going to be a tremendous seed year I guess.

[karl evans]

Yes heus, looks to be a huge seed crop this year. I don't really know what makes sugar maples seed or not seed, but it has been a couple(maybe a few) years since a good crop. Hopefully the sweet tree orchards will have plenty of seeds!

[Bruce L]

Our trees look like a bumper crop of seeds for this year,wonder what Dr.Tim figures of this for next spring?

[Galena]

Hmm, wish I'd paid more attention in the past to things like that so I'd have some idea as to what's normal or not for my trees. Ah well not too upset.

If Dr Tim is around I do have a couple questions for him: last year #1, which I gave off the year this year, had a section of branches with leaves that were green and healthy near the stem but then looked definitely crispy at the other end. I tapped that tree during the tail end of 2012, so not for long.

Also last year as I was raking up leaves I noticed some were aysmmetrical. Both sides were correct in shape but wildly varying sizes. I used one such leaf as a prop in a photo shoot to great effect. Wondering if leaf asymmetry is an indicator of any kind.

[Dave Y]

Trees are like people they are all different. And I doubt tapping the trees has any effect on the growth of the tree or leaf or seed development. Unless you seriously over tap them. Over tapping a tree is like over thinking a situation, you spend more energy than you will get in results.