Started Tapping

[jnwill0]

I started tapping this past Saturday, January 9 in eastern KY. I hope to get a run later this week. I did have some flow on Saturday and Sunday. Hoping for a few runs this season.


Jeremy Williams
"In the deep dark hills of
eastern Kentucky"

[esetter]

Cool. Im not too far from you. Probably gonna do some test taps this week. Im going to tap all in 10-12 more days. Keep me posted on flow. Good luck this season!

[optionguru]

I think it's fascinating that you guys get the right temps down there to still get sap. In a normal season how many runs would you say you get? How long does your season usually last?

[fisheatingbagel]

I would say we have seasons pretty similar to you northerners, just start earlier although some seasons can be shorter due to sudden warm ups. I think with tubing it would almost be possible to have a long season extending from December to February. With buckets we still have to be careful about starting so we don't tap too earlier and risk tapholes drying out or too late and running out of season.

[esetter]

Yea , I think our main challenge is that we don't always have that gradual warming period. Some years we go from winter straight into early summer. Last year I got a late start but had a very productive two-three week run at the end. I tapped two trees today. One is dripping , one is as dry as can be?

[jnwill0]

I'll keep you updated. I'm hoping this warm up, later in the week brings us a run.


Jeremy Williams
"In the deep dark hills of
eastern Kentucky"

[fisheatingbagel]

Forget to mention earlier, there just aren't as many sugar maples in this area of the country as in the Northeast. Lots of reds and silvers, and blacks apparently, although I can't tell them apart from sugar maples.

[Marcus]

Forget to mention earlier, there just aren't as many sugar maples in this area of the country as in the Northeast. Lots of reds and silvers, and blacks apparently, although I can't tell them apart from sugar maples.
If you can't tell the difference between reds and silvers and sugar maples are you sure you are tapping maples?




















You need to google the different maples








There is a lot of difference in the buds from reds and silver to sugar maples.

[esetter]

I think he was saying he couldn't tell the difference between sugars and blacks. We have very few black maples down here. Cant say I have ever seen one for sure. I had a semester of Dendrology in college , black maples were never discussed but If you look on a distribution make we have a few.

[fisheatingbagel]

Yes, esetter you have it right - the difference between sugars and blacks. I was told a lot of the "sugar" maples we have around here are actually black maples.

[esetter]

Tapped 3. Got 1/2 gallon. Still too early…….

[blissville maples]

black maple have slightly smoother bark than sugars?? still has 5 point leaves? or 3 like reds and silvers?

[jscheib]

Blacks have 5 points and have rounded lobes. They also have an orange color right in the bark fissures.