Tubing system one low slope

[sebastian]

I have a small woods with a high density of maple trees (approximately a tree every 15') the woods are 250' x350'
It has a slope difference of 2' over 250 ln ft
The east half of the woods floods in the spring

Can a tubing system work in this situation?
If so what type of system or lines do you recommend?
How high can a tree be taped?
Does the flooded woods affect anything?

[Mitchell tapper.]

Check out the zero slope thread under Tubing installation. It gave me clarity of when to use 3/16 or 5/16 tubing.

[DrTimPerkins]

Yes, a tubing system could work, but it would have to be installed extremely well to work. Your grade is only 0.8%, which is extremely low. It would work far BETTER if you used a vacuum system than on gravity alone. You'd want to use a level to ensure that you have constant grade from one end to the other. Trees can be tapped up as high as you can reach (and some people will use a step-ladder if they have to), although on gravity you will get slightly less sap doing that. By doing that (tapping high at the far end and low at the near end) you can help to create some additional slope, but you'd have to be careful after some years to avoid cluster tapping in those trees (concentrating your taps in one area of the tapping band).

Can't answer the flooded woods question without more detail. Red or silver maple will do better in the flooded areas that sugar maple though.