Warm weather

[Newbie18]

How much effect will the late long warm temperatures and lack of snow have on this springs sap production

[jmayerl]

None. As long as it freezes there will be a season. 90% of sap production is dependent on the weather DURING the season.

[sugarman3]

very little as long as when march its,we get the temps we need

[DrTimPerkins]

None. As long as it freezes there will be a season. 90% of sap production is dependent on the weather DURING the season.

Absolutely correct. All the other stuff is just "noise" and will have no appreciable effect on the sap yield or sugar content.

[Cabin]

Absolutely correct. All the other stuff is just "noise" and will have no appreciable effect on the sap yield or sugar content.

If the maples bud out then refreeze does that effect the sap in any way?

[Bucket Head]

The budding changes the chemical makeup of the sap. Syrup production ends at the budding point. Freezing after that won't make a difference.

[cjmiller272]

Dr. Perkins, does that hold true if there is no frost in ground. In my part of wisconsin we have only had minor freezing for short periods. Based on the freeze thaw cycle, one could be tapping anytime last week or next couple of weeks. If the winter goes by with only a handful of days staying below freezing, what would trigger the sap to start flowing back up the tree?

[DrTimPerkins]

Dr. Perkins, does that hold true if there is no frost in ground. In my part of wisconsin we have only had minor freezing for short periods. Based on the freeze thaw cycle, one could be tapping anytime last week or next couple of weeks. If the winter goes by with only a handful of days staying below freezing, what would trigger the sap to start flowing back up the tree?

If we have deep frost in the ground we will have poor sap flow. Generally if there is a good leaf and "duff" layer on the forest floor, and even a little snow, there is little or no frost penetration into the soil. Roots don't especially like to be cold, and they'll be killed if it gets too cold.

Water/sap flows UP in trees as they freeze, which is why a slow freeze is better than a fast freeze....there is more water uptake during a slow freeze than a fast freeze. Sap flows out of trees in response to thawing. This will happen ANYTIME there are freeze thaws (assuming there are no blockages due to a soil frost layer or snow packed tightly around the trunk of the tree causing a frozen/blocked zone. The issue is that tapholes become less productive after tapping, so a taphole drilled in the fall will be less productive in the spring. Therefore, maple producers need to choose the time to tap that will capture the most productive sap runs of the year, unless their operation is so large that they MUST tap early to get all the taps in before the sugaring season begins, although doing so will result in a small yield loss from those trees tapped very early. This is less of a problem once the weather turns really cold, as there is less microbial activity when it is very cold, and thus less of a wound response (taphole drying).

[Newbie18]

I think one of the positives for an early snowfall is that it provides an insulation for the ground, which helps to eliminate a deep frost. That being said, there is no frost with the warm temperatures we are having so far 😀