Maple tree growth and other questions

[farmerEd]

Hi guys.

I did a quick survey of my property today with an eye towards expanding my taps in the next few years....

What I found is that I have a tremendous(like 10's of thousands easily) amount of softmaple trees, but of course the vast majority of them are 2-3 inch saplings...but, I was encouraged by the fact that intermixed with all the little ones was a good amount of 7-9 inch maple trees, maybe 50-75 per acre (and I have about 80 acres of maples, yet to be explored).

On my list of things to do is get out there and thin all the smaller ones to encourage the more established ones...assuming I do this, any guess on how many years it will be to grow an 8inch maple to a 10inch maple? (which I have read is about the smallest I want to tap).

Also, if I could get my hands on a refractomer, and tested a sample of this stand (of the 8 inch trees) and for example, the sugar content was real low (like closer to 1% than 2%) would that mean those trees would likely never be good candidates for tapping? i.e. does sugar content in a particular tree stay consistent over the years?

I don't want to waste my time thining a maple stand if the trees will never have much potential...thanks.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you thin out the stand a lot, this will increase the crown size on the trees and increase the sugar content a lot. Sounds like you have way too many trees per acre and this restricts crown growth and smaller crowns produce smaller sugar content.

As far as growing, if you thin out the grove good, the 8" trees may be 10" trees in a couple of years or less. All of a sudden, they have less competition and more sunlight and they will likely take a big growth spurt.

Another thing, if you are using a 5/16" health spout or smaller, it shouldn't hurt to tap the 8" trees but don't tap any small than that and I wouldn't recommend tapping them with anything bigger than a 5/16" spout.

I would agree with Brandon to thin the trees. Open the trees you select on two sides to full sunlight on the crowns. They should grow 1/2 inch in diameter per year with thinning on good soil. You can test with a refractometer between trees and the higher brix tree will always be higher. You have to test them at the same time, like within an hour. Actual amounts will change over the season and even during a day. You can increase the brix over time by increasing the crown size by thinning.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WF MASON]

I remember a couple years ago , a fall semiar in the sugar bush , the gentalman speaking on tree growth and thinning drilled a maple about 4'' dia. and took a sap sample and checked it. He said the tree would have the same sugar content all of its life. So check for the sugar , then thin.

[forester1]

Actually sugar content can increase as crown size expands with thinnings. What won't change is the relative content in relation with it's neighbor trees. So it would be good to test all the good trees next to each other before you thin and retain the tree with the highest sugar content as it will always be highest. Also be sure to check sugar content of the different trees at the same time as sugar content can change over the season and even throughout the day.

Bingo Forester1--Test all trees you intend to mark within approx. 2 hours of testing the whole section/lot of say 100 trees---Get a good fell for what the average is and Possibly flag tape anything above the avg. You could get the sap running out of the trees first and then jump tree to tree testing. Sap sweetness has been know to increase with the crown Diameter but probably most of it is genetics from the parent tree that produced it in the first place....Kevin

[mapleman3]

here is the question.. I tap alot of reds behind me.. but it is designated "wetland" how can I convince the town that doing abit of thinning is actually better for the land than not thinning, most of the trees I tap there have not so big crowns and they are way up high.also would have to convince the multiple neighbors who own it :?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Be careful with wetlands because that is a federal offense. Cutting anything out of them could result in serious consequences, at least it is that way down here. :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

Bunch of morons! :evil: :evil:

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[mapleman3]

yeah it is pretty silly here, we have a big conservation group but yet they don't limit the amount of permits for new houses going up... they have been giving out about 100 a year.. think of the growth that is... staggering!!! but go near a "wetland" and they will take your money for that too... in fines!! I know when I first tapped I thought of asking the conservation board if it was ok to tap back there... then I thought.. heck they will say I'm putting in a road for acccess and trampling down the undergrowth etc etc etc .. so I did my thing and besides the tubing there, nothing has been touched.. but man I sure would love to thin the place a bit and let the maples florish like they should!!! I don't think the "creatures" would mind a bit

[Parker]

Jim-
I know in N.H. you can log in wetlands as long as you follow the Better Management Practices as set up by the state and get a permit. They are genrally reasonable and are established to protect the enviroment from carless damage..The reason the laws are there is cause other people in the past made real problems that were avoidable,(Bad for loggers public image and the enviroment). I bet if you talk to the powers that be they will be reciptive to the idea of timberstand improvement, I know they are in N.H.,,,,of course your not in N.H. and I have never done a wetlands permit in Mass....I think your best bet is to talk to them, let them know what your intentions are,,,,what will they say, no? then your in the same boat your in now,,,,if you go behind there backs and get caught then what,,,,,,just my 2 cents, good luck, Parker

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Parker,

It's Mass, not NH. Look at the queers getting married and world's biggest idiot that they nominated for President. If I didn't know mapleman, I would think that Mass was another country inside a country. :evil:

Jim, No offense intended towards you as I know other people that are from Mass but I would hate to see the laws there.

[mapleman3]

WOW you go Brandon!! :wink: :wink: :lol:

Gotta agree with ya on those thoughts....

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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