Fall Tapping

[DavidSB]

Does anyone have experience tapping in the Fall? Maybe Fall tapping is just a fairy tale? :-) David in Ashby

[minehart gap]

DavidSB you might find some info in The Sugar Inn forum called saps running. The forum was active today.

[buckeye gold]

Hey David,

Several posters here have or do fall tap. I have done it the last few years. I typically wait until I feel I'm 2-3 weeks from the final hard freeze. You can get sap as soon as trees go dormant and the weather trend is right, but I would not recommend it. You will get a warm spell and it will kill your flows. Remember any tree you tap in the fall will not be used for the spring. Some tap late winter and run high vac when temps fluctuate and do ok clear through spring. If you are on vacuum you will do ok, but buckets or bags you better wait until late fall/early winter. Runs are sporadic, less flow and slightly lower sugar. With that said I have made quite a bit of good syrup early. Remember also your going to have two clean ups in the same winter. If you have some trees that are late to run in the spring, like north slope low valley trees they are good fall candidates. That or parts of a bush that is not accessible in spring. Hope that helps