Silver maples - early starters?

[Kilroy]

Anoka, MN here with enough silver maples to support twenty or so taps.
Appreciate a heads-up as to when I should expect to start drilling.
Hopefully get an early start here, then haul the gear up to Bayfield county in WI for the sugar maples.
If gardening season is any indication, there won't be (much) overlap.

[Birddog]

Last year I started tapping in Ham Lake at the end of February and that turned out to be too early. If you check this site you will see updates from several people in MN that should give you an idea when things start running.

[SDdave]

Noticed sap flowing from freshly trimmed silvers in SW MN. Made me want to tap, but then heard the forecast for a cold weather returning.

SDdave

[Kilroy]

Nine taps in the afternoon today on my silvers, will tap the remainder tomorrow. Should come to 27 total.
I have a giant in the front yard with 3 taps, huge crown, full southerly exposure. Taps on East & West side of tree dry, but the tap at the front (South) producing drips as bit was pulled out.

[GramaCindy]

Hello Kilroy. I am also in Bayfield Co. WI. I am tapping today. I have mostly Reds. The weather forecast for the 10 day is outstanding. It is about a week or two earlier than I usually tap, but hey...I'll listen to the weather sites for now. Have a great year!

[Kilroy]

Temp reached low 40's today in Anoka county.
My total here at home is 31 on silver maples. Have a few box elder trees, but not bothering to tap - I'm interested in how pure silver will be compared to pure sugar.
Trees with full sun (only a couple) are dripping slow. Shaded trees are dry so far.

[Galena]

I don't have any silvers, but understand that as they are soft maples, like reds, they will start to run before sugars. Sure seems true with the reds I have tapped.

[Run Forest Run!]

Kilroy, tap those box elders! I make both separate and blended batches of box elder, sugar and soft maples. Each tastes different and delicious. You'll be very surprised (pleasantly) about how much the flavour can vary between batches and types of maples. It's worth the effort!

[Kilroy]

Box elder syrup - have had a pint of it couple years ago... very good stuff. Mine are pretty small, so I didn't bother with them.
Looking at forecast for month of March - no lows below freezing. I hope that doesn't impact sap flow much. Guess I better read up on that. Didn't even consider that it wouldn't freeze at night.

[Kilroy]

66° today.
I've got my sap in 5 gallon buckets in a stock tank full of snow (so far) on the north side of my garage.
Another lesson learned in my first season. I'll be stockpiling ice next winter for sap insurance.

[Leinie]

I just tapped my 4 silvers in Scott County . 6 of 8 taps dripping.

[SDdave]

66° today.
I've got my sap in 5 gallon buckets in a stock tank full of snow (so far) on the north side of my garage.
Another lesson learned in my first season. I'll be stockpiling ice next winter for sap insurance.

A little trick that I've learned is to take some sap and freeze in an ice cream bucket. Then use that as your ice cube in your bucket.

SDdave

[Kilroy]

Anoka county - 55° this afternoon.
35 gallons from 2:30pm yesterday to 2:30pm today.
31 taps on 21 silvers.
57 gallons total since tapping began on the 6th.
Looks like I'm boiling tomorrow afternoon.

[SuburbanHomestreadingMN]

Eagan, MN I have 8 taps in 4 silver maples with 15 gallons of sap so far. No sap from my 2 hard maples, in fact no sap the last 2-3 years from my hard maples. Anybody know why the hard mapels don't run?

Thanks,

Jim

[pbrain1259]

Sherburne county newbie. Tapped 2 trees last year for our first time and had good luck, one silver one we are not certain on. This year we tapped 9 silvers over the weekend and Monday. Have not gotten a drop. Is it the year, the weather or did we get stupid in the last year. In general is this crazy weather good or bad for sugar?


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[Run Forest Run!]

Hi pbrain. For most of us the season has just begun. I expect that's the case for you as well. Get all your ducks in a row because it'll be here before you know it.

[Kilroy]

Didn't freeze here last night. Dropped to 24 gallons today. Thermometer parked at 59° currently.

[pbrain1259]

Hi pbrain. For most of us the season has just begun. I expect that's the case for you as well. Get all your ducks in a row because it'll be here before you know it.

No lie there, one must learn patience, not one of my virtues. 2/3 of my taps started flowing this morning. The tree I checked was still dry, the wife checked the rest later and we are in business. Not sure if its a coincidence or not but the trees flowing were in the wetter part of the yard in the snow melt and the ground seems more melted, read as muddier too. The one that flowed well last year still dry. So more patience and it too will flow.

Brian

[SuburbanHomestreadingMN]

Sherburne county newbie. Tapped 2 trees last year for our first time and had good luck, one silver one we are not certain on. This year we tapped 9 silvers over the weekend and Monday. Have not gotten a drop. Is it the year, the weather or did we get stupid in the last year. In general is this crazy weather good or bad for sugar?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

From my experience in the urban/suburban area warm weather is not good. We need the freeze thaw cycle to "pump" the sap up during the day and down at night when it freezes. Not a very good year for me so far. If it wasn't for the one over acheiver silver I would only have about 5 gallons of sap this week with 8 taps total in 5 trees. I hope we get normal March weather soon.

Thanks,

Jim

[Kilroy]

23 pints of syrup today. Goodnight!

[jeffeich]

I am in NE Iowa and temps were 60 degrees today and going to hit 70 on Monday. But then we will cool down and finally get below freezing at night, remember it is all about pressure in the tree. Taps will flow like crazy soon, mother nature knows when it is time.

[Kilroy]

Pulled my taps today - buds are coming on strong.
Sap collected today varied from bucket to bucket. Some smelled odd, others didn't taste right, one even tasted soapy.
Dumped the whole works.
Have enough stocked up for about one more gallon of syrup.

[lindnova]

I looked at mine last night and the buds are out (silver maples):cry:. The flowers haven't opened yet, but very close. I suppose my season has been a bust. 31 this morning, so see what is in the buckets tonight. I have 1 gallon total from last wed-thurs.

I am thinking of moving the taps to walnuts so I can try out the new evaporator pan.

I should also look at the box elders but I would guess their buds are out too.

[Leinie]

I boiled the 50 gallons of sap I collected over the past week. Haven't finished it yet but it may be all for me. I see buds flowering on one of my 4 trees and the rest look pretty swollen. I'll keep collecting from the 3 and see what happens with this colder weather this week.I definitely wont be blending it with what I just boiled.