When are you tapping?

[Ridgeland Farm]

With January just around the corner maple season isn't far away! What are people's hopeful tapping dates? I am planning on staying where I usually do. Feb 15th.

[adk1]

Abit early areNT yeah?

[n8hutch]

I always plan to tap around valentines day, my wife loves that.lol

[Schiefe4]

March 10th

[morningstarfarm]

Planning to start 3 rd week of jan...with 6000 to do its gonna take a while...hoping to turn the vacs on around valentines day...disclaimer...all this depends on mother nature...

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

If the weather is cold the first week of Jan. and looks to stay cold for a few weeks, we are starting then.


Neil

[Ridgeland Farm]

Abit early areNT yeah?

I am usually the last one to start tapping in my area! My orchard is a cold one so no need for me to start in January. I use check valves and for me they seem to work.

[adk1]

I have tapped around Valentine's Day the last two years. First boil is in the end of february

[unc23win]

I would like to start tapping February 1 that would be the earliest I have ever tapped. I was thinking about starting in January like some other guys (with a lot more taps) I know will be and I might if the forecast changes we shall see. We usually get our first big run the last week in February.

[Urban Sugarmaker]

Are you all talking about tapping early with tubing setups? I am going to be using buckets and figured I should wait until weather actually favors sap flow. It makes sense if you have thousands of taps to place them early (on tubing) so you don't miss a big first run.

[morningstarfarm]

You hit the nail right on the head...I would wait until the weather turns for your 75... You can do them in a few hours...it's gonna take me the better part of 3 weeks to tap in...

[Ridgeland Farm]

yeah, you definitely want to wait till you start to get those warm days to tap buckets. I always have 5 or 6 days late feb. where I barely get 400 or 500 gallons a day. Those are the marginally warm days before the trees really start to thaw where buckets would do nothing!

[sjdoyon]

We plan on starting second week of Jan. Anticipate it will take 4-5 weeks to complete.

[maplecrest]

Going to be a month, just cutting the broken trees off my lines. Took a major hit in last weeks ice storm. Still have three inches of ice on the trees and tubing.have had no sun and going to be zero here tonight.got our power back yesterday to stay on.very slow going in woods. Trees on every 5/16 line. Got mains under trees frozen in 3 inches of ice and buried in a foot of snow with the wire broken.

[fishman]

Probably shooting for 3rd week of March. We've had a 5-6 week swing in our start dates the last 3 years so what do I know.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Going to be a month, just cutting the broken trees off my lines. Took a major hit in last weeks ice storm. Still have three inches of ice on the trees and tubing.have had no sun and going to be zero here tonight.got our power back yesterday to stay on.very slow going in woods. Trees on every 5/16 line. Got mains under trees frozen in 3 inches of ice and buried in a foot of snow with the wire broken.

We've been there and it's not fun --- here's hoping that the temperature lends a helping hand.

[adk1]

I won't be tapping till exactly March 2 as that is the day after we get back from a 10 day cruise!

[NhShaun]

I'm aiming for the first week in march, weather depending. Somewhere around 100-150 taps. I took the entire month of march off for my addiction to sugaring... So i am really hoping the season fits into that time frame. Otherwise i will have a lot of free time up at my off grid cabin, which is still a treat. But with the amount i have invested to make this sugaring season possible, i really hope my march planning will work out in my favor.

[red maples]

you never wanna really set a date per say. I always plan for mid feb. sometime. but you never really know. I watch the weather and if we get a good stretch of good sap weather I will do my best to be ready for it!!! with 100-150 taps you can do it in a day easy so watch the weather and go from there. It usually takes me 2 days to get mine done. 500 on vac tubing 100 on buckets and gravity. the vac tubing always gets done first.

[Loch Muller]

Sometime after I finish putting up my tubing and installing my evaporator! Late February/early March depending on the weather. I only have 300 taps this year though so it won't take long. I was at Bascoms this week and they are starting to tap, the guy there said they are looking at 80,000 this year so that makes sense that they are started already.

[Drew Pond Maple]

This will be my 3rd year so I haven't really got it down to a science yet. Last year was a late start( 2nd week of March) and was super cold for two more weeks. Then I only had 14 days of sap before it went yellow and sour

I plan on last week of February

[maple flats]

I was originally going to start tapping about 1/12, then the long range forecast (LRF) moved that date. Then I was going to start yesterday but the LRF showed only 2 days above 35 degrees thru early Mar., date moved again. My plan now, unless either the LRF or the 10 day shows promise I'm thinking mid to late Feb. I have a week off in late Feb., that might be when.
Last year I finished tapping Jan 21, but my first boil wasn't until 3/27. That being said, as we pulled taps after the season, they were still wet, I used all CV2 taps.

[Wingo87]

At this rate around here we won't be tapping around here till June lol. 3+ ft of snow at my house and looks like more very cold temps for the next 3 weeks.

[red maples]

3-4 feet of snow on the ground in the woods makes for a lovely trek to tap trees.... blah!!! look a good time to tap is presidents day weekend then you have a week or so to work out the bugs get everything put together cleaned if need be and be ready by the end of the month when the weather turn hopefully in our favor. the long range forecast hasn't changed much for feb.

[Amber Gold]

As usual, we're planning on tapping Presidents Day weekend. I'll have a 4-day to get everything tapped and prepped. With as cold as it's been, who knows when it'll actually run though.

[red maples]

yeah we are gonna need a really good 4-5 days of 40's just to get things going. Those stumps are pretty frozen so we'll see.

[Amber Gold]

The snow pack will insulate the ground and trees. Hopefully, it's insulating them from these cold temps.

Getting another small storm Sat. night, and word in the news is another 18-24" early next week. Most of my lines are at snow top level now, so they're going to disappear next week.

[handtapper]

2 weeks of storm after storm I havent touched a sugaring item. Although I have thought heavily about the sugaring stuff while plowing. I agree im not looking forward to tapping or hauling buckets in the deep snow. Has to be around 2.5' and they are forecasting up to 18" more inches through monday night. Im planning late february but at this rate we will see. Snow insulates from the extreme freezing temps but also once we get the warm days it takes longer to get things going.

[n8hutch]

I was going to Tap next weekend, but with the forecast like it is I think I will hold off At least another week, maybe wait till the first of March.

[Mark-NH]

I think I will tap my bigger orchard next weekend. I realize the long range forecast is for continued cold but this will allow me a more casual pace. It will also allow me to set up vacuums, releasers and all that other stuff well in advance of the first run.

Not that I don't like running around like a chicken with my head cut off but we will see how this novel approach works.

[Shawn]

Looking at late Feb this year

[MJFlores]

I don't expect to see any sap until early / mid March this year.

[Amber Gold]

Pushing it out another weekend. I think we'll start tapping on the 21st. Too cold and it gives me another weekend to cruise the woods fine tuning things.

You know what's really cool, finding out that you left your feed tank 1/2 full of water from the end of season cleaning. At least I found it early enough to get some tank heaters in there to thaw it out.

[eustis22]

um, what? I thought tapping while the trees were frozen fostered leaking? Are you not concerned with the holes closing up before the sap is done running?

[SandMan]

April!

Not really, but there sure does not look any sugaring in the forecast for even March at this point!

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Im in the Middle east for work, have been here a few months and scheduled to get home March 31st...I was convinced I wasnt going to be able to do ANY sugaring this year, the way the weather is looking, I just may be able to do some after all :-)

[Amber Gold]

Accuweather's showing a warm-up the last week of February and into March. I'm thinking about tapping this weekend to catch it, but the forecast for this week is coooold.

[KING MAPLE]

at what temp should you not tap to insure no damage to the tree

[Mark-NH]

I don't believe that marginal warm-up next week will provide any sap but it is motivation.

[Amber Gold]

Mark...trying to stay positive here. It's hard though. Accuweather's already showing the slight warm-up getting pushed a couple days.

Even when the temps do warm up, will trees even run with this snowpack? I think this is the most snow we've had since I've been sugaring. I drove fence posts into the ground before we got all this snow, and surprisingly the frost isn't too deep.

[billyinvt]

No time real soon. Nothing above freezing in the 10 day outlook for my neck of the woods. Fine by me, I've got plenty to do before I can boil anyway.

[Shawn]

Same here last year we tapped Feb. 15th-17th had a hard run then we had the hard freeze and only went two weeks several years ago we had a lot of snow and went into April and had the best year ever, this year looking at tapping March first but who knows could be in shorts in May still boiling that is mother nature and the beast!:lol:

[SandMan]

Tapping in March! This will be a first for me... since it looks like our weather here in central NH will not be warming up until about the 4th week of March (22nd), I'm pushing back my tapping dates yet again. More sub-zero temps this week, more snow next week....a winter to remember! It will be interesting to have the bulk of our sugaring season in April???? Did my first walk through of some of my north lines....very slow going. Snow is deep and light so you don't stay on top very well with snow shoes.

It is hard to imagine a "fast" warm-up given the volume of snow on the ground in the NorthEast. Lots of ice under this snow as well!

[Ragged View]

[QUOTE=...since it looks like our weather here in central NH will not be warming up until about the 4th week of March (22nd)...[/QUOTE]

According to who/what?
Mark

[SandMan]

Look at NOAA's long range forecast for March. Continue to be below average temps for March. Of course things can change... and often do.. This year has been the year when temps are forecasted and then lowered as we get closer. With the snow pack we have, I'm sure the nights will stay cooler well into April.

[Ragged View]

Is this where you are looking?
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/fxus07.html
Thanks,
Mark

[SandMan]

Mark,

Yes, I use the NOAA site, but I just use the "Outlook Map" section... Not familiar enough with all the surface pressure jargon!

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/forecasts/

Mike

[sugaringman85]

Put my first taps in for the season yesterday afternoon. Felt nice not wearing gloves and no coat for once. Its gonna be a long tapping season this year. The snow was deep and the dog doesn't get that I have snowshoes on and he can't walk right behind me. Got about 100 done in about 2 hours so I'm still happy with that average. Think that will drop off quite a bit once I am in the woods for hours on end. Excited for the season to begin.

Tyler

[SandMan]

Yesterday, with occasional sun, no wind and 34 degrees... I'm thinking...wow, this is why I LOVE working out in the woods during sugaring season. Today, at 9 degrees and occasional snow showers with a 20-30 mile an hour wind, I had other thoughts...won't post them here since this is a family website!

[ender1981]

I'm a wanna-be homesteader just looking to be more self sufficient. Thought i'd give this a try for the fun of it. I have 5 maples i'm going to tap this year, tubing will allow collection into 5 gal home depot buckets which seem to be food safe. Cook it off in a stainless steel turkey fryer i got from Bass pro shop. Its supposed to be warm-ish sunday/monday, so i plan on tapping saturday and hoping to get a good flow. I planned a vacation a while back in mid-march, so i fear i may miss prime-time, i'm hoping to get the early flow and cook off what i can so the year isn't a bust.

I read you can get 20gal of sap per tap. Is that over the course of a week? a month?

Anything terribly wrong with my plan?

Edit: I forgot to mention. I'm in southern, NH -salem/nashua area.

[MapleCamp]

We had minus 33 this morning here in Lancaster, not looking good in the 10 day forecast. I'm waiting at least that long before my 300 plus or minus taps go in. They are all strung, just need to put a new cv sprout on and drill. Hope its not over as fast as last year.

[sugaringman85]

Put another 3 hours in tapping. Snow is getting better to snowshoe through. Put in about 250-300.

[BlueberryHill]

I can't wait any longer! I'm going out this weekend and putting in 3/16 gravity lines with CV taps. Figure at this point they won't have time to heal up before the sap gets buddy anyway. Hope to get 150 taps in over the weekend. Once it looks like things are about to break open, then I will hang my roadside buckets. Don't think I'm doing any in-the-woods buckets this year. I have a 4-wheeler trail that I follow and dump buckets into a drum-on-a-trailer usually. Snow is too deep for that to happen, and a snowshoe marathon is not happening either. No time for it even if I was feeling brave. Someone has to tend to the evaporator.

[Amber Gold]

I'm still thinking about tapping this weekend. Looking at weather.com and accuweather, the temp's look promising mid-week. What do you guys think about maybe getting a run next week?

It looks like things are going to really break loose the second week in March. Crossing my fingers.

[Wingo87]

I will be tapping this weekend too, I'm sick of waiting.

[Lethalbowman]

It was -22 here in the Traverse City, Michigan area this morning. The long range forecast doesn't look very good for any kind of sap run so my 50 taps won't be put to use for a few weeks yet.
10774

[Amber Gold]

What do you guys think about sap running on Wednesday? It's going to be warm enough. Debating if it's worth taking the day off to get the pump running and lines vac. tight. Maybe get another mainline tapped in.

[CampHamp]

I was thinking about it, but the forecast doesn't show a real run until the 13th. I haven't heard of anyone boiling yet, but the sun is getting stronger...

[sugaringman85]

I am debating closing the valve on my tank and collecting if it actually runs on wednesday, but if it runs it probably won't be enough to flood the pans. the pans are not set up, the ro is still in its cozy box, the sugar house isn't plowed out. i'm thinking about trying to get ready first, and if in the next day and a half i am ready, im gonna check vac and collect what i get. if its not a lot i'm gonna dump it and call it a cleaning. not gonna end up with a block of ice that doesn't disappear for the entire season again!

[BlueberryHill]

I got everything tapped and set up on 3/16 gravity at my brothers house on Sunday. I'm working this week on getting everything tapped at my house that will be on 3/16 gravity too. This morning on the way in to work I see a lot of people have just hung buckets. That's a good sign! Although sometimes I think that as soon as one guy hangs his buckets, then everyone else sees them and think they need to get their taps in NOW!

I think it is finally time.

[MapleSaint]

I am all tapped up!! 100 buckets, my Halfpint is all bricked up. Finished today and sap was plinking my buckets. Love that sound!!!

[MapleLady]

Put in 38 taps on Saturday. Some trees were weeping and a few were dripping -- although a slow drip. A few more taps to put in later today. Let the fun begin! :)

[maple maniac65]

Drilled about 450 this weekend and only about three were wet. 325 to go next weekend. Snow is about 4 feet deep and frost is about the same. Should be boiling by April.

[eustis22]

100 buckets??? 2 gallon or 5? How do you collect?

[CampHamp]

I tapped yesterday and today should be a good day if the sun stays out... No crust on the snow, so wore snowshoes and took the requisite number of spring tumbles. My brother is here from San Diego, so at least I had someone to laugh at me this year! It makes the melting snow down you back more tolerable.

[n8hutch]

Tapped 150 yesterday, ran 25 on some 3/16 about a 400ft run with 20' drop, buy the time I finished the run I had sap in the barrel. So hopefully it is going to work well.tapping 200 more today if I can sneak out of work early enough.

[SandMan]

Finished tapping yesterday (March 8th). That is the latest I've tapped. New vacuum this year! I have two small sugar bushes. Both with about 250 taps, one was rebuilt this year with Wet/Dry lines and mainline's coming off the Wet/Dry with whips. Short lateral lines with only 5-7 taps on each. The other sugar bush is still set up with the old gravity system 3/4 inch mainline with long laterals and 20 or so taps on each. It will be fun to see the difference in production between the two areas. It will give me motivation to rebuild the "ol" gravity system that is now on vacuum if the production is noticeable between the two.