Tapping red maples under 10 inches

[randomseeker]

I have hundreds and hundreds of red maples in my wetlands. Last year I tapped about 120 of them, all of 'legal' size (>10"). Most of the bush is less than 10 inches in diameter and likely to remain so because of the tree density. Ideally, I should cull the bush to give more trees an opportunity to grow. However, red maple wood is not very useful to me particularly since I have so much ash that can be harvested before the beetle strikes them down. I am wondering what any of you think of me tapping the smaller reds? I run gravity tubing through the wetland anyway (since much of it is difficult to get at with buckets). I could string a great number of them together in a 5/16 gravity lines (I am thinking 30+ per line) and triple the number of taps in that area easily. I know the idea is the smaller diameter trees should be left to grow out, but these ones are unlikely to do so given the competition. So I am guessing no real harm will come to trees that should be culled anyway?

Comments and thoughts? Thanks.

[adk1]

if your gonna cut them, go for it I say

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

If they are not on vacuum, red maples that small likely will not produce much. Soft maples are finicky with gravity system as it is. If hooked to a vacuum system they would produce well. How did the trees you tapped in there last year produce?

[randomseeker]

If they are not on vacuum, red maples that small likely will not produce much. Soft maples are finicky with gravity system as it is. If hooked to a vacuum system they would produce well. How did the trees you tapped in there last year produce?

The reds 10" and larger were stellar producing at least as well as the sugars, and have been equally prolific in previous years. All the sugars were on buckets though.

Just as a matter of interest, the reds had almost equivalent sap sugar content compared to the sugars. The last couple of years the reds have averaged just under 2.5%, always 2% or higher.

[BreezyHill]

I consistently tap trees that are undersized that I will be culling in the future. I have never heard a good reason to leave a cull tree to grow and not harvest sap from them. I am retubing a section now that has a dozen 8' sugar maples that are shaded by 28" trees. I place one tap on each and am thinking of trying Dr Tims sapling harvest method on the 1-3" saplings in the same areas. I have to do the tap counts to see if it will be worth the expense or they will go thru the chipper to feed the big trees.

[GeneralStark]

The reds 10" and larger were stellar producing at least as well as the sugars, and have been equally prolific in previous years. All the sugars were on buckets though.

Just as a matter of interest, the reds had almost equivalent sap sugar content compared to the sugars. The last couple of years the reds have averaged just under 2.5%, always 2% or higher.

Those are pretty impressive stats for red maples. How much sap were you collecting from them?

[GeneralStark]

I consistently tap trees that are undersized that I will be culling in the future. I have never heard a good reason to leave a cull tree to grow and not harvest sap from them. I am retubing a section now that has a dozen 8' sugar maples that are shaded by 28" trees. I place one tap on each and am thinking of trying Dr Tims sapling harvest method on the 1-3" saplings in the same areas. I have to do the tap counts to see if it will be worth the expense or they will go thru the chipper to feed the big trees.

If your saplings are in the understory there is no point trying to coppice them for sap production. It only makes sense with trees growing in full sunlight, like in a field.

Chipping your regeneration doesn't make much sense either.

[DrTimPerkins]

The first thing to consider (preferably before tubing or retubing a section of woods) is to thin. Doing so will allow your remaining trees to grow better, and produce more and sweeter sap. Barring that, tap the smaller trees (they won't be great producers), but plan to thin at the first opportunity.

[spud]

I have hundreds and hundreds of red maples in my wetlands. Last year I tapped about 120 of them, all of 'legal' size (>10"). Most of the bush is less than 10 inches in diameter and likely to remain so because of the tree density. Ideally, I should cull the bush to give more trees an opportunity to grow. However, red maple wood is not very useful to me particularly since I have so much ash that can be harvested before the beetle strikes them down. I am wondering what any of you think of me tapping the smaller reds? I run gravity tubing through the wetland anyway (since much of it is difficult to get at with buckets). I could string a great number of them together in a 5/16 gravity lines (I am thinking 30+ per line) and triple the number of taps in that area easily. I know the idea is the smaller diameter trees should be left to grow out, but these ones are unlikely to do so given the competition. So I am guessing no real harm will come to trees that should be culled anyway?

Comments and thoughts? Thanks.

It almost sounds like you have no plans to thin this section of woods. If this is the case I would tap every tree 6 inches or larger and try to get a vacuum pump. Yea you're not going to have super sweet sap but with vacuum you could get 15+ GPT. You might have to buy a 250 RO though. The important thing is to just have fun.

Spud

[maple maniac65]

expect to see a lot of the bark splitting and trees breaking off above the taps. Red maples do not stand up to repeatedly tapping when so small dia. I have smooth bark 20" red maple bark split over 15 feet by drilling a 5/16 hole 1 1/4 deep.