Not freazing

[Brian Kloepfer]

How do you know when to tap if the weather do not stay below freezing?

[DrTimPerkins]

How do you know when to tap if the weather do not stay below freezing?

There is plenty of time.....winter is slow this year, but it will eventually get here.

[wnybassman]

There is plenty of time.....winter is slow this year, but it will eventually get here.

While delivering mail today I noticed some Forsythia bushes in one area showing a fair amount of yellow blossoms, and in the same area some fruit trees showing some awfully fresh green buds about an inch long.

Is there any danger of maple trees becoming this far advanced this time of year, as far as buds swelling? Will long term warmth now affect how fast things bud in the spring?

[mudr]

Bassman- I took this picture yesterday up here in Elba. I've only been in the syrup game for one year, is this enough swelling to cause buddiness?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151223/9ed7c89332399ce56c409e607136709f.jpg

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[lyford]

mudr, I wouldnt worry, many trees including some maple species will have buds that size from late fall all the way through bud out in spring.

[DrTimPerkins]

While delivering mail today I noticed some Forsythia bushes in one area showing a fair amount of yellow blossoms, and in the same area some fruit trees showing some awfully fresh green buds about an inch long.

Forsythia is not native. They are well known to break bud early and to suffer from winter kill. Maple trees are highly adapted to very cold conditions.


Is there any danger of maple trees becoming this far advanced this time of year, as far as buds swelling? Will long term warmth now affect how fast things bud in the spring?

Well, as a scientist, we generally don't like to be so definitive as to say "No, it'll never happen." Instead I will say that it would be a very extremely unlikely and rare occurrence if it did happen (in other words, 99.99999% sure it won't happen).

[DrTimPerkins]

Bassman- I took this picture yesterday up here in Elba.

That is not a maple twig (the branching is alternate....maples have branches and buds on opposite sides of the twig). Even if it were (which it is not), I wouldn't be too worried.

[jimmol]

Ok, we had 4 weeks of "winter," now we have forecast temps in the mid to upper 30s this next week and a half. I recall a few years back when it warmed up in January that I was told it is too early to tap. Wasn't there a general rule of thumb for how long maple trees had to be at below freezing for them to produce well?

[DrTimPerkins]

Ok, we had 4 weeks of "winter," now we have forecast temps in the mid to upper 30s this next week and a half. I recall a few years back when it warmed up in January that I was told it is too early to tap. Wasn't there a general rule of thumb for how long maple trees had to be at below freezing for them to produce well?

No, there is almost no association between the length of the previous cold period and production. Sap runs when temperatures rise above freezing (assuming the trunk thaws), and water uptake (for recharge) occurs during subsequent refreezes.

How many taps do you have? How long does it take for you to tap? Are other producers around you tapping already?

[Leadft]

I've had some concerns about this myself...

[OldManMaple]

I would be very concern if it freazed around here!

[jimmol]

11 taps, 10 trees so it will not take me long at all. I have the 3/16 line from last year ready to restring. No one around me has tapped to my knowledge. I am just a hobbyist.
Thanks for sharing you knowledge.