Deep freeze and sap production.

[khuberpt]

I have a question for all out there. I tapped roughly 10 days ago and have made roughly 2 gallons of syrup so far. However, with the warmth last week and now the cold later this week the sap flow will greatly decrease. Should I change my taps because of this? Thanks for the feedback. Kevin

[DrTimPerkins]

I have a question for all out there. I tapped roughly 10 days ago and have made roughly 2 gallons of syrup so far. However, with the warmth last week and now the cold later this week the sap flow will greatly decrease. Should I change my taps because of this? Thanks for the feedback. Kevin

No, don't bother changing your spouts. I assume that you're using buckets? If so, depending upon how long it is before it warms up again and how fast it warms up, you might see a reduction in yield due to taphole drying. Nothing much you can do about it at this point.

[khuberpt]

Yes I am using buckets. If the tap holes dry out too much should I then consider re-tapping? Thanks.

[Russell Lampron]

A prolonged freeze won't hurt your production like a warm spell will. I think you will still get plenty of sap when it starts running again. Normally with new or sterilized taps a hole will stay open for 4 weeks or a little longer.

[DrTimPerkins]

If the tap holes dry out too much should I then consider re-tapping? Thanks.

No. Retapping would double the wound to the tree. You'll be fine for a month or so, perhaps longer if you used new or cleaned spouts. Your other recourse would be to find more trees.

[Agent914]

I tapped 30 trees on Sunday in Middlebury, CT when it was warm and I had an instant flow.

I am sure the cold snap over the next fews days will slow things down a bit...and then things will start flowing again ....that is the life of a Mapleir.

SO HAPPY MAPLING EVERYONE!

[Ray_Nagle]

Oh, I was under the impression that a tap would produce for up to 12 weeks. Is the number closer to 4 weeks? If so, I'll need to adjust my strategy next year.

[KReinisch]

You should get longer than 4 weeks. I know I have only been doing this four 5 years but I used to hang buckets and I got 2 months at the least. Last year I tapped mid February and it ran all the way into April. This year I have went to gravity tubing and I have been tapped for 10 days also. One of the reasons why I tapped early was because people say you can go longer with tubing. I may be wrong but lets hope not.

[khuberpt]

I am hoping the flow returns early next week. This deep short freeze should not be to bad as we have had a mild winter here in western Ct. The initial flow was great until the crazy El Niño weather pattern changed. I should wrap the trunks with warming blankets!

[DrTimPerkins]

Oh, I was under the impression that a tap would produce for up to 12 weeks. Is the number closer to 4 weeks? If so, I'll need to adjust my strategy next year.

The length of the flow season depends mostly on spout sanitation (cleaner=longer), but also on the weather (hotter=shorter), and technology (gravity=shorter, vacuum=longer).

[KReinisch]

Does the new 3/16 count as vacuum even though its gravity?

[DrTimPerkins]

Sap running downhill by gravity in a 3/16" line will create vacuum. In this case, vacuum is vacuum, regardless of how it is created.