Brown sap

[Agb]

Any reason that some of my trees (sugars) put out brownish sap and some clear?

[wildlifewarrior]

Could be a rotten spot in the tree, if you are on buckets it could be running into it off of the tree. I noticed once with some on buckets that in the wetter areas the silvers produced a slightly yellow/brown color.

Mike

[NorthJerseyMaple]

It's running down the tree and down the outside of the tap into the bucket like Mike said above. I solved it by tying a piece of sisal bailing twine on the tap close to the tree. You just have to cross the twine once like beginning to tie your shoe, no knot necessary, and let it hang down so the rain water is led away down the twine instead of continuing down the tap and into the bucket. I use about a two foot piece of twine.

[MapleLady]

The bailing twine idea is one I will have to remember. Occasionally, I have had brown sap in buckets, usually after a rain and wondered how to keep some of that water from running down the tree and into our buckets!