Is it time to tap in central VA

[USMCLtcol]

Anyone tapping? In Lynchburg, I tapped two test trees; one one woods immediately dripping and one in the front yard not so much. Going to tap a few more on Monday.

[esetter]

Tapped 4 as a test last week. Collected around 7 gallons. Gonna tap everything else after the next freeze / thaw.

[5050racing]

Good luck you guys,still waiting in N.J. Crazy weather again this year,no snow to pack sap in.

[USMCLtcol]

Long range weather shows a 40/20 degree cycle setting up on Jan 27. I plan on getting everything tapped by then

[sweetgum wisperer]

go, go, go for it.

[USMCLtcol]

42 taps in as of 1/26. Come on sap I need to fire up the new evaporator ;)

[Homer Allman]

I live in the mountains outside of Harrisonburg Virginia. I started tapping this year January 1, 2017. I drilled taps for about two weeks. I had two medium runs and one large runs, but no where near as good as last year. This has been a bad year with all the warm weather.

[USMCLtcol]

The weather stinks for sure. I had a good run this weekend and got additional sap thru today. I have a few new trees that have not produced. Pulling those taps and relocating for to other trees. With this crazy weather I figure time is short.

[sweetgum wisperer]

has been cooler than last year, just not cold enough. last year at this time I had at least one great run. This year barely over 5 gallon in 100 trees.

[Homer Allman]

I've got 230 5 gallon buckets with 430 taps. My trees aren't the biggest avg maybe 20 inches. I started on January 1. We got a 230 , 470, 240 and 275 gallon runs. this year. We've made around 14 gallons so far and burnt up 3 of that. haha. The season is not good so far. I made 30 gallons last year with half the taps. :cry:

[220 maple]

Homer,
the taps you opened Jan.1 if just dripping into a bucket could not possibly still be running with the heat we have had, I live in Harrisonburg but tap in Grant And Pendleton Counties, you off US 33? My friends that tap into buckets in the Mt. Storm area of WV tell me 32 days is the limit, I have tubing with vacuum pump and sometimes can get 6 weeks out of a tap before the heat shuts them down, the 70 degree days that we have had recently is hard on production!
Mark 220 Maple

[Homer Allman]

I redrilled them two weeks ago. Same hole, just cleaned them out and went 1/4 inch deeper. Today I redrilled them for a third time another 1/4 inch deeper. They weren't as clogged on the third drill. They were running a bit today. I agree the weather has been terrible. I'm hoping for one more run. On a typical year with cold. I get 6 weeks before I redrill. Then maybe another two weeks. This year hasn't been typical at all.

[Homer Allman]

Mark I live in Briery Branch up near the mountains.

[Homer Allman]

The trees I redrilled on Saturday did have a good run. The season is not quite over for us.

[sweetgum wisperer]

I'm thinking about getting 3/16 system next year to help lower bacteria and draw sap on marginal days.

[220 maple]

Sweetgum whisper,
Do you have a 30 foot of drop where you tap? or I should say 30 drop from last tree to the tank, if so 3/16 tubing will make you very happy I predict, contact the CDL rep for Virginia, he will look your woods over and actually show you how to set up the tubing if you decide to go that route, you only need to buy tubing from him, the bottom line it's good tubing and priced equal or cheaper than the other manufacturers of tubing. If you don't know him send me a private message I will give you his number, he helped me set up a 3/16 woods with 187 taps, first run this year in a day and a half I got 300 gallons of sap. Second year for the system!
Mark 220 Maple

[220 maple]

Homer,
Do you use tubing, I have went thru the Briery Branch area before going across Reddish Knob to WV, 99% of the time I go via Rt. 33, Lots of Sugar Maples past Rawley Springs, mostly on land owned by the city of Harrisonburg, I believe they own everything from the water intake on Dry River to Switzer Dam, if your trees have the max drop of 30 feet from last tree to a catch tank, you should consider 3/16 tubing, cheapest way to hook maples up to a tubing system. I'll send you my cell number thru the private message system on this message board, give me a call sometime I will share some of the ways I survived the warm days in previous years.
Mark 220 maple

[Homer Allman]

I am running taps with tubes into 5 gallon buckets. My trees are on flat ground and scattered over 7 acres. I could hook a few together but most are just too far apart. I gathered my last sap Saturday morning. I had 200 gallons. My dad boiled it down Monday and today. I thought it didn't smell the best but tasted okay. It's was really a bad season this year. I live just above the store. Time to pull the taps and wash the buckets.

How did your season go?

[sweetgum wisperer]

To anyone interested go to www.sugarbugva.com for gravity spile and line.