Bucket users--have you tapped yet?

[Justinmaple]

I am in Johnson and I use buckets. I have been sugaring for 6 years. I am tempted to set my taps tomorrow morning with the warm spell that's suppposed to come over the next 2 days. I have never tapped this early and I'm concerned about taps drying out and screwing up the end of my season. Are other bucket people tapped in yet? Does anyone know how long a bucket will last? Thanks.

[Shawn]

Did 165 of them yesterday and buddy was finishing up his at his house today. Day prior did 219 taps for pipeline. Holding tanks put out today and in sugar house tomorrow to get that all ready and then wait. A work out this week

[vermontpure]

Not yet here in west haven. probably gonna give it another week or two. Definatly by first weekend in march.

[Paul VT]

Not yet. Will wait for a decent warm up. Probably about the first week in March. I have been told bucket taps are good for 30 days. But I have had good runs after 30+ days before.

[adk1]

I tapped my tubing over the weekend but didn't tap my sap sacks because thinking I will wait till the steadier runs start

[GeneralStark]

Only doing a few buckets this year but in the past when I have dome many I have generally waited until more consistent spring weather. It is still winter and while it is going to warm up the next couple days you are potentially shortening your season with buckets by tapping this early. It will be back in the single digits next week. Relax, get things ready and hang the buckets when it looks like it will be more consistently spring like.

That said, you could put out some buckets now to see what is going on and then put the rest out later. You could also tap again later in the season if you have access to more trees or if you have large trees.

[Flat Rock Farmers]

We haven't tapped up here in Irasburg yet either. Probably will wait until the first week of March too.
We're still watchin' the forecasts. Even though there's a couple of days that might be good, the extended
forecast shows a freeze up after this weekend again. It's hard not to pull the trigger though. I guess
we'll just have to stay content with tramping our four wheeler trails with snowshoes and gazing longingly
at the trees!

[LawnSite]

Waiting another week on buckets. Some of the local guys around here are doing pipelines this weekend.

[PerryW]

Not sure where you are located, but I'm in Littleton NH, across from St Johnsbury Vermont and I don't see any sugaring weather in the 10 day forecast. Forecast says highs of 38-40 over the next three days, but it's gonna take three days of highs in the 50's before you get anything besides nuisance sap. Unless you running vaccum or in the banana belt of vermont, I would hold off till after march 1.

[sugarin' in the hood]

Waiting for another week or two before we tap for buckets.

[steve J]

I started tapping my lines yesterday but will not do buckets till the first of March long range forecast does not show a lot of warm days other than next couple.

[802maple]

If you can believe the long range forecast, it doesn't even look like there will be much sugaring in March

[Cougar4]

I put buckets up with my son today cause he couldn't wait to see the sap flowing. He's all exited cause we got 5 gal of Sap in 9 buckets in about 2 hrs. I know its early, but the sap is running like a faucet in the buckets I have up. Besides, no guts, no glory right!!!

[GeneralStark]

If you can believe the long range forecast, it doesn't even look like there will be much sugaring in March

Especially up there on the mountain. Down here in the valley we may get some sap in a couple weeks. More time to get things ready.

[Wrangler13]

Do to lack of time I taped last Sunday 27 taps total. I got 10 gallons of sap yesterday hope to get 15 today. A few of the larger trees are not running yet so the sap is running from about 17 taps.

[Green Hill Maple]

Will anyone on buckets retap? I don't know what to do due to this cold?? I hate wounding trees more then I have to, But I really want to hit my 10 gallon goal!

[Stamford sugarmaker]

I tapped too early last year and lost LOTS of sap when the holes healed. I'm waiting for at least several more days before tapping.

Peter

[Paul VT]

Still waiting. Maybe in another week.

[woodchuck]

Looks like a warm stretch next weekend. I tapped 50 of our lower sunny trees today. Tapped our trees on vacuum yesterday.......we will see

[802maple]

Looks like it is going to be what I have always called a regular sugaring date, As I see it, it will be nearly 2 more weeks here.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Looks like it is going to be what I have always called a regular sugaring date, As I see it, it will be nearly 2 more weeks here.


That's what I'm thinking!

[Flat Rock Farmers]

Sounds about right. We might pull the trigger on some next weekend, maybe 50 or so and do the other 150 the following week.
The extended forecasts have been disappointing lately buy there might be a glimmer of hope soon!

[sugarin' in the hood]

Waiting for another week or two before we tap for buckets.

Or another week or two. The silver lining is we are working on an addition to our house which will come to a screeching halt once the sap flows.

[chevypower]

We'll most likely start tapping the buckets next week, still working on adding an additional 150 or so on pipeline first.

[Stamford sugarmaker]

From what I have been reading it seems that bucket taps heal up sooner than taps on tubing?

If so, why is that?

Peter

[northwoods_forestry]

Should have the rest of the pipelines tapped today and then I'll start on buckets. Had great hopes of putting in an additional 100 buckets adding to the 200 I usually do, but no luck finding any decent buckets at a reasonable price within driving distance. Maybe next year?

[Old County Road]

Does anybody have input on what the likely sap flow would have been this past week in southern VT for buckets? I tapped 100 trees In Halifax on 03/08/14 and I'm trying to determine if there has been enough flow this past week to justify driving 180 miles each way to boil this coming Saturday.

If there hasn't been much of a run I'll most likely hold off making the trip till 03/20/14 or so.

Thanks!

[drewlamb]

Hey again Stamford - Just posted to you on another thread... I've never heard this and can't imagine a possible explanation. Assuming the same size tap hole and removal time at the end of the season, don't know why it should make a difference. I've always thought that tap hole healing is pretty much entirely a function of overall tree health and vigor.


From what I have been reading it seems that bucket taps heal up sooner than taps on tubing?

If so, why is that?

Peter

[drewlamb]

Old Country Road - Can't speak as well as others here for southern VT, but up here in Calais (elev 1200'), I'll tell you, except for a weak run end of Feb, there has been NO sap flow. My buckets are still upside down at the base of a sugar maple waiting for a tap hole. Headed out of town next weekend for 4 days which is SURELY when murphy's law will bring the biggest run of the season. (Or maybe we will get another 2 feet of snow. Sheesh.)


Does anybody have input on what the likely sap flow would have been this past week in southern VT for buckets? I tapped 100 trees In Halifax on 03/08/14 and I'm trying to determine if there has been enough flow this past week to justify driving 180 miles each way to boil this coming Saturday.

If there hasn't been much of a run I'll most likely hold off making the trip till 03/20/14 or so.

Thanks!

[Justinmaple]

In Johnson we have over 3.5 feet of snow as of yesterday. Overnight we got another 7+ inches of powder. I have been tapping on the warmer days this week and my buckets are sitting only a foot above the snow--this is after seeing last year's tap holes and setting my taps 6" higher. There is more snow forecasted for my area tomorrow and, yes, the forecast for next week is for daytime temps below freezing and negative temps on some nights. Wow! I am still hoping for a good season. I plan to have all my buckets up by the end of this weekend. I just want to get it over with and I can't imagine it will affect the end of the season since it seems impossible that it could go past 5/1.

[drewlamb]

Snow just like that here in Calais. My feelings exactly on the tapping. I'm going to tap ~350 in the main bush sometime this weekend or coming week, and my NW facing bush (~150) somewhere down the line.