Sap and soil fertility

[red dorakeen]

I have one tree that consistently produces about twice the sap of the average tree at close to 3% sugar while the average for my trees is 2%.

The one obvious difference is that the tree is about 10 feet from my compost bins.

Could the nutrients from the compost leeching to the roots make that much difference?

Maybe it's just a good tree coincidentally located by the compost.

[Aa2tn]

I guess it is possible. I know that trees with large crowns and ones out in the open away from other trees tend to have a higher sugar content. I am not sure why you would get that much more sap though ....

[DrTimPerkins]

I have one tree that consistently produces about twice the sap of the average tree at close to 3% sugar while the average for my trees is 2%.

Could be one or the other or both. Trees are like people, some are sweeter than others and more giving. There can be a large difference in sap yield and sugar content from two trees side-by-side if they have different genetics. Nutrients will help some as well, so perhaps the compost bin is adding a bit also.

[Manatawny]

I have the same - a tree that flows when nothing else is flowing, and always gives more than twice as much sap as the others. Seems sweeter, but haven't tested.

If trees grew more quickly, it would be fun to cultivate a strain of these superior trees.