Tapped today

[Homespun]

My smaller trees had damp wood chips from drilling, the larger trees had bone dry chips.

[Urban Sugarmaker]

Good luck. I'm putting the rest of mine in today, but I don't expect anything until Monday at the earliest. Tuesday and Wednesday next week should be good.

[LImaple]

I'm a total noob, but have been dreaming for years of tapping the one sugar maple in my backyard. We did it about half an hour ago, and it started dripping before we even put the tap in! I just looked in the jug (I'm using milk/water jugs) and it looks like we have already collected about a cup of sap. Very exciting! I wish I had more maples, but the rest of my property is oaks, oaks, and more oaks.

[dblact38]

welcome to the addiction! Have fun

[LImaple]

Thanks! I went over to my Dad's (20 minutes away) and tapped one of his maples. My mom is paranoid that it's going to damage the tree so she only "let" me (a 44-year-old woman) tap the silver maple, not the sugar maple. Annoying, but better than nothing and hopefully next year she will come around.

[adk1]

So you are going to haul sap from a single tree that is 20 minutes away?

[dblact38]

LIMaple if your tree is big enough in diameter 18" or more, maybe you can put two taps in.

[LImaple]

LIMaple if your tree is big enough in diameter 18" or more, maybe you can put two taps in.

I haven't measured it, but it's not all that big so I'm probably safe with one tap.


So you are going to haul sap from a single tree that is 20 minutes away?

I am sure that sounds completely insane to a normal person, or someone who actually produces a lot of syrup. But it's the only other maple I have access to. I live on 1/3 suburban acre that is heavily treed, but it's all oaks and one sugar maple. My Dad is retired and one of us is usually out by the other's house a few times a week anyway, so I'm not making special trips all the time. This is all for my own and my children's enjoyment. We went to a farm that did a sugaring demo a few years ago, and we've all been obsessed with the idea ever since. Spending time in Vermont a few weeks ago sealed the deal. If I get a few pints out of the whole experience, it will be totally worth it. :)

[Clarkfield Farms]

Drive all day for a single drop of sap if that's what you want to do, it's not about the money, or the cost efficiency, the price of gas, or any other "business" criteria - if it were, does anyone honestly believe that MOST of the people on here would even THINK about making syrup? Good for you, LImaple, in the end it's all about YOUR reasons. Kudos for involving the kids! THAT is the priceless part. :) And they get to know that the syrup, regardless the amount, that's on their waffles or pancakes or whatever, came from Mom's and Grampa's trees! You KNOW they're going to be excited to be shown which tree(s) the syrup came from. Lifelong memories... Good for you. ;)

[adk1]

I haven't measured it, but it's not all that big so I'm probably safe with one tap.



I am sure that sounds completely insane to a normal person, or someone who actually produces a lot of syrup. But it's the only other maple I have access to. I live on 1/3 suburban acre that is heavily treed, but it's all oaks and one sugar maple. My Dad is retired and one of us is usually out by the other's house a few times a week anyway, so I'm not making special trips all the time. This is all for my own and my children's enjoyment. We went to a farm that did a sugaring demo a few years ago, and we've all been obsessed with the idea ever since. Spending time in Vermont a few weeks ago sealed the deal. If I get a few pints out of the whole experience, it will be totally worth it. :)Sounds good, so you caught the bug too! Well, you might as well start knocking on your neighbors doors asking if you could look around their yards to see if they have any maple trees now! haha

[LImaple]

Thanks for all the kind words! I'm glad I found this forum. :) I boiled my first sap today and have about a quarter-pint of light butterscotch/vanilla-ish syrup that I am restraining myself from drinking right out of the mason jar. :) I'm excited to see how it changes through the season (however long that may be at this point) and how my sugar maple compares to Dad's silver maple. I'm also sensing science fair project for another year (my kids are 9 right now).

I don't think my tree is big enough for another tap. :( But I will totally be eyeing the neighbors' yards this summer. We are also talking about looking for a new house, so now I have some new shopping criteria.

[Homespun]

At sunrise today not a drop was found from yesterday's start of our warmup. Now they are all running well and filling the jugs. The big surprise is each Norway Maple tap volume is outpacing any other tap by about 8:1, at least for now. I hope it keeps up this pace all season!
Urban Sugarmaker - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you collect your first sap early this week. Good luck in your first year!

[Homespun]

Thanks for all the kind words! I'm glad I found this forum. :) I boiled my first sap today and have about a quarter-pint of light butterscotch/vanilla-ish syrup that I am restraining myself from drinking right out of the mason jar. :) I'm excited to see how it changes through the season (however long that may be at this point) and how my sugar maple compares to Dad's silver maple. I'm also sensing science fair project for another year (my kids are 9 right now).

Your addiction has started...Good luck LImaple!

[LImaple]

Up until today I've gotten 1.5-2 gallons a day, but it didn't drop below freezing last night and I had barely a couple of pints. Will it start flowing again when the temp drops and rises again? Tomorrow night is supposed to go down to the high 20s.

Also, my Dad's gave him about 1/2 a gallon the first day and then totally stopped. I don't quite know what I should do there. :(

[ponderingjunkman]

Yes, wait till it freezes again. Science can't fully explain why maple trees do what they do, so you are in good company!

[Tidajo]

Ask Dad to empty the jug at his house and keep in the refrigerator.
You can stop by for coffee when he has a few gallons for you.
Enjoy!

[LImaple]

Yes, wait till it freezes again. Science can't fully explain why maple trees do what they do, so you are in good company!

Thanks! Supposed to go down to 21 tonight and up near 40 again tomorrow. One nice side effect about this whole thing is it makes me more patient for warm spring weather. :)