Managing plantation maples

[schwalmfresh]

I have a stand of plantation maples that were planted by my family in the 30's/40's. They have have remained untouched since then. Would love to see if these trees have potential for development. I could easily tap them, but don't want to touch until I get a recommendation from the experience found here. Thanks in advance for any feedback or suggestions.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

They look small for 70-80 yr old trees. Looks like they were planted in the 80's. Are they sugarmaples or Reds? Kind of look like Reds to me. Certainly would be easy to tap since they are all in rows on slope. However, based on what I am seeing, they look small and some might need a few more years. How many are over 10 inches in Diameter at chest height? Count up the ones that meet that minimum and you will have a sense of how many taps you can get now.

[Cedar Eater]

If they are reds, they can still do very well on 3/16" tubing with vacuum. Red Maple wood doesn't sell well (at least here) so tapping them is a good way to get value from them. The natural slope will help you confine your tapping to the low 4' on all your trees. They look maybe 40 years old at most, (and I know scale can be deceiving) and could maybe stand some thinning. I would consult a forester who understands maple sugaring to get an assessment, but it looks like a good sugarbush.

[batsofbedlam]

I would start by doing some serious thinning. Allowing large crowns to develop will insure a higher sugar content.

[Michael Greer]

I agree pretty much with the idea of starting with some thinning, though I place less emphasis on it than most. I'd start by taking out anything that was damaged or diseased. The following years, I'd start a testing program to find those with the best sugar levels, and think about giving those trees a little more space. Don't do anything huge or dramatic...nature will do that for you when you least expect. I'd rather see a few too many stems per acre than too few. It takes a long, long time to fill in a spot.

[heus]

I agree with Scribner those trees dont look more than 30-40 years old and younger if they are reds. Now I have some 80 year old sugars that size but they have been under a dense canopy all their lives. In an open setting like that I just cant see them being that old.

[schwalmfresh]

I agree with Scribner those trees dont look more than 30-40 years old and younger if they are reds. Now I have some 80 year old sugars that size but they have been under a dense canopy all their lives. In an open setting like that I just cant see them being that old.
I'm in search of a forester with the maple expertise to come and walk the property. There aren't many red maples in this area so i'm pretty sure they are sugar maples. This land has been in my family since Lincoln was president and my people never cut any trees down. The sugar shack is built in the center of the property not near these trees. The theory is that my great uncles planted them thinking a few generations ahead. They never mentioned them and were well past making syrup when I knew them as a youngster. Perhaps they dreamed of easy collection with tractors because who could imagine plastic tubes?

[Cedar Eater]

I'm in search of a forester with the maple expertise to come and walk the property. There aren't many red maples in this area so i'm pretty sure they are sugar maples. This land has been in my family since Lincoln was president and my people never cut any trees down. The sugar shack is built in the center of the property not near these trees. The theory is that my great uncles planted them thinking a few generations ahead. They never mentioned them and were well past making syrup when I knew them as a youngster. Perhaps they dreamed of easy collection with tractors because who could imagine plastic tubes?

Might be worthwhile to check with your MSU extension office. I don't get the impression that they know much about maple sugaring, but they sometimes know people who know people.

[bigschuss]

I'm in search of a forester with the maple expertise to come and walk the property. There aren't many red maples in this area so i'm pretty sure they are sugar maples.

You really don't need a forester to tell reds from sugar maples. Reds right about now have big red bulbous looking buds. Sugars don't. In 4 or 5 weeks just have a look at the leaves and you'll have your answer.

[Cedar Eater]

The forester would be to help with a thinning and crown improvement strategy.