Is this Season Going to be a Big Bust?

[DonMcJr]

Nobody here seems to be talking about it. Here in Michigan the artic vortex had my trees locked up til March 14th. It flowed for 3 days then below freezing for a week and half then 3 days of flow and now just barely above freezing at night and 40 to 50 during the day. My 20 taps haven't flowed very much if at all in a week now.

So i am at 120 gallons of sap so far this year and last year by this time i had 13 gallons of Syrup Made!

Are the trees still frozen maybe the roots still froze? Will all heck let loose soon or is it done and a bummer year?

I just searched news reports and NH, Vermont, Connecticut, Minnesota and Michigan all have news articles saying the cold delayed the season but no one has really had much of a flow yet.

Those that have years and years of family records do you have a season on record close to this year's season/weather and if so what was the outcome? Heck some folks like Terry and Forest in Canada haven't even had a flow yet!

[Jerome]

So far with 4 days of run on my 18 taps I have only 15 Gals I would normaly have about 80. Not sure it got below freezing last night forecast for 7c here today 0c tonight 2c tomorrow -5c tomorrow night and 10c and sunny on Sunday but just above freezing for two nights Not sure how much I will get this year I am going to have to dump what I have soon as I don't have enough to boil.

[heus]

If your season is like ours in ne Ohio it started late but turned out pretty darn good.

[DrTimPerkins]

Will all heck let loose soon or is it done and a bummer year?

It ain't over til it's over. Ask again at the end of April.

[TerryEspo]

I like The way you think Tim, I feel the same way.
Don, I hope someone has records to post, but don't think we need them, it will come.
Today could be it, right now at 8 a.m. it is above freezing, I am going to check drips soon and hope to see some, could be a full day run !!

[DrTimPerkins]

I like The way you think Tim, I feel the same way.

Thanks Terry. It has always seemed like a waste of time to me to worry about things I have no control over.....like the weather or my wife. :lol:

[sugarbush dugway]

Here in New York it really hasn't been good either.........according to my records, my production this year compared to last is down by only about 8 to 10 gallons but I believe things will change, the sap will run (I mean it has too in order for the leaves to come out, right?!) so maybe it will be a short season but we will have a season and we have to be thankful for that........Think positive......this year may run short (don't know that for sure), but next year will be better.....STAY POSITIVE!!!!

[Jeff E]

Last year was a great example. It was very slow in March in Northern Wi, everyone worried about a bust of a season, then the sap ran hard for something like 18 straight days. Everyone was wore out and tired of collecting and boiling.
We are basically in the same situation this year. Basically no syrup made in March (I did boil the night of 3/31, and got syrup with 3 hours left in March!) but the season could still be great.
Just to top it off, we are in the midst of a big snow right now. We still had 15+ inches in the woods, and now another foot to add to it.

[mantispid]

So far I'm at half the production of last year, with 20% more taps. But, sap runs are still ahead, though I suspect some of the trees will be buddy.

[sg5054]

Nobody here seems to be talking about it. Here in Michigan the artic vortex had my trees locked up til March 14th. It flowed for 3 days then below freezing for a week and half then 3 days of flow and now just barely above freezing at night and 40 to 50 during the day. My 20 taps haven't flowed very much if at all in a week now.

So i am at 120 gallons of sap so far this year and last year by this time i had 13 gallons of Syrup Made!

Are the trees still frozen maybe the roots still froze? Will all heck let loose soon or is it done and a bummer year?

I just searched news reports and NH, Vermont, Connecticut, Minnesota and Michigan all have news articles saying the cold delayed the season but no one has really had much of a flow yet.

Those that have years and years of family records do you have a season on record close to this year's season/weather and if so what was the outcome? Heck some folks like Terry and Forest in Canada haven't even had a flow yet!

Don't panic yet. It has busted wide open in my town. I've collected 90 - 100 gallons the last 4 nights. I'm boiling as fast as I can now. Up to 11:30 each night and I'll be running marathon sessions all weekend. I've bottled 6.5 gallons so far. I'm boiling to about 215F, drawing it off and setting it aside to finish later. I don't want the sap to spoil and that's becoming a race now.

[DaveB]

I'm in the camp of don't worry. My season started 3-4 weeks late and it's ending a week late. I'm having some good runs this week when a few years ago my trees were leafing out now! As your snow melts the trees will respond accordingly. It seems like everyone had later seasons and I see no reason why that won't extend further north.

[northwoods_forestry]

the sap will run (I mean it has too in order for the leaves to come out, right?!)

I'm pretty sure the trees can leaf out just fine without a sap run.

We're at 50% production here in Southeast VT. Looking ahead, there might be one more good freeze before the season ends. Maybe we'll make it to 75%?

[DonMcJr]

I like you're thinking too Dr. Tim!

Our 2 foot of snow has been melted for a week and temps went from frigid to above freezing and barely hits 32 every night. The buds are getting bigger every day. I hope it's not done and I'm ready for the big gusher! No flow for 6 days now...

[Rhino]

Slow start but like JeffE said, so was last year and April came and we all had our fill. Starting tomorrow and beyond the weather looks good, The snow will take a fast hit come the end of the week when we hit the 50's with that sun angle. All i can say is if it runs through the night a few times a person can get alot of sap in a week and a half. Season could be short but none of this start and stop. . . start and stop type season. Also in 2012 (the year we didn't tap) I did put one test tap with a bag on one of our bigger trees. There was hardly anything in the bag when i pulled it, so i would also say that the trees can leaf out without giving up sap.

[Bentley Wood Maple]

Time will tell but I am seriously skeptical. 350 taps generaly keep us pretty busy with our old 2x6 but this year I regret not picking up those 1100 taps a mile down the road. This year we could keep up easy.
at this point i hope we make 10 gallons for our own use.

[Quagmire33]

I'm boiling right now, had a great run earlier this week and it died off a little. While sitting here with my pump going I decided to test the sugar coming out of the pump (all soft maples) and had only 1% straight from the line. So I shut my pump down and I'm convinced this will be my last boil of the season. My sugar maples on buckets might still have a little something left in them. Time will tell.

[southfork]

Best to measure your production success over a ten year period. This applies to most areas of agriculture. More than likely, there will be great years, low production years, and everything in between. The ten year average will determine if you can pay the bills and remain sustainable. Since you have no control of which years come first, I would watch the debt load.

[SPILEDRIVER]

everytime i figured it was done this year it gets cold and starts all over again.....went and checked my sugars this morning and everyone of them were full and running over with 2% sap! ill be boiling in the morning and sat nite looks like another freeze so should be monday as well. then the forcast says it will be done, but i guess ive learned to let the trees tell me when there done.

[wnybassman]

then the forcast says it will be done

In addition to a nice cold night tomorrow night, here in WNY they are calling for a shot of cold nights next Wednesday and Thursday. Hard to say if the trees will last that long or not. I was still getting 3% out of my big yard tree today, and 1.8% out of the woods trees after a slight freeze again last night. It was 31º when I went to bed.

[DonMcJr]

Well I am thinking the Barometric pressure has a lot to do with the flow too and that would probally follow high and low temps.

It's been over 30.1 and pretty much steady there except for a few drops but not huge drops and today it dropped down to 29.5 and it's starting to flow a little more...below 30 tonight and tomorrow night so I hope my FLOODS coming! :cool:

I don't make Syrup to pay the bills... I'd be too afraid I'd end up Living in a 300 Year old Hollow Maple tree! LOL!

[SlopYourDripper]

I agree - worry is counter-productive (to say the least!) but will add my own anecdotal data to the pot (or pan!). I'm in southern NH, started tapping in early Feb. (out of defiance toward the nasty winter more than wisdom about the sap season!) but had staggered my tapping, trying to catch each anticipated "tsap tsunami" with additional new trees. I even moved several taps to new trees as they dried up (following good sanitation practices, as always). But my 41 taps have produced only about 3 gallons of finished syrup. The last few days have held promise of ideal flow conditions, but have produced only about 9 gallons of sap. Temps have seemed ideal this week; bugs (moths, crane flies, etc.) are proliferating; ground is softening (although I'm sure there is plenty of frost under the top few squishy inches of leaf litter and mud). Tree buds are small and tight. The trees just don't seem to be willing to let go. I'm calling it a season, pulling my taps tomorrow. On to gardening!

[Clinkis]

I've made about 16L of syrup so far. Last year at this time I'd made over 100L. Here's hoping we get a few more decent runs but forecast isn't looking good long range. Not much you can do about it just enjoy what you get and hope for a better season next year!

[PACMAN]

I got my first run April 1st.Boiled every day this month.My season up here is the same as it was last year.Today was the best run,245 gal of sap by 4pm this afternoon.Made 7 gal today.I still have 4 foot of snow to deal with but Im not complaining.That white stuff just may make my season last longer.None of my trees are opened up yet.Its sleeting out now,I left my guzzler on tonight Its not suposed to freeze.See what I got in the AM.

[theguywiththename]

yeah been slow here but it doesnt take much sap at 3.75% SUGAR to catch ip.