soft maples vs. hard maples

[CrossBroMaple]

so I have a thought I was kicking around.... since soft maples tend to bud before sugar maples, is there any advantages to tap them earlier? been having some January thaws lately and was wondering if I should be more proactive to get on them instead of trying to wait out and see what February brings.

[johnallin]

Other than the lower sugar content, why not? That's a great idea, sure makes sense to me.

[karl evans]

so I have a thought I was kicking around.... since soft maples tend to bud before sugar maples, is there any advantages to tap them earlier? been having some January thaws lately and was wondering if I should be more proactive to get on them instead of trying to wait out and see what February brings.That is my exact plan. Have tapped my areas where the soft maples are the highest %. My thought is they be closest to shutting down when they'll be close to beginning to go "buddy". Haven't tapped my hard maples yet.

[Russell Lampron]

They still need the temperature swings that the sugars do to run so unless you are using a tubing system there is no real advantage to tapping them early.

[Greensprings sugar]

We average 3% on 15 silvers we tap each season, if thats low, I need more silvers

[CrossBroMaple]

They would be on vacuum tubing. I just have been on the fence for early tapping but having a higher concentration of reds make me reconsider

[Kh7722]

I currently have about 700 taps on tubing with high vac and about 95% of my maples are all reds, the season lasts just about as long as sugars and it really dosnt get biddy, sounds weird but they actually just stop running. I have has great luck with reds so far, like john said, the sugar is a little lower but always seem to get at least a quart per tap.
Good luck

[Russell Lampron]

I currently have about 700 taps on tubing with high vac and about 95% of my maples are all reds, the season lasts just about as long as sugars and it really dosnt get biddy, sounds weird but they actually just stop running. I have has great luck with reds so far, like john said, the sugar is a little lower but always seem to get at least a quart per tap.
Good luck

I have about 700 taps on high vacuum here with about 90% of them being reds. I too get about a quart per tap and the season usually ends before they bud. Comparing my syrup to others that have all or mostly sugars I think mine has a better flavor. A local producer did a taste test last year and one of his samples was some golden syrup that I made. Most of the people that took the taste test walked away in disbelief because my golden syrup tasted so much better than the darker samples from other producers. Do you notice that too?

[Kh7722]

Hey russ
Yes i get the same feedback from our syrup, most people like the rich flavors that our trees produce. Actually i used to like the light fancy syrup more untill i started on this and we love it ( a little biased maybe?) but it is great. I actually spoke with you a few years back and you inspired me to tap all the reds i had, and am glad i did, i could care less about weather i tap reds or sugars they all make great products
Thanks and have a great season!
Kevin

[johnallin]

I tapped my 3/16 lines today up on the back hill. About 100 taps on 5 runs. Did some repairs and added a few new trees.. all were running strong. Letting it go to ground until tomorrow to clean out the lines.

About 1/2 of these are reds and make fine syrup. I agree with Russ and Kevin on the taste. We too have had great tasting syrup from our woods, it's buttery is what most say. Must be a NE Ohio thing (wink)

[eagle lake sugar]

Probably 30% of my trees are reds, the mix makes a rich flavored syrup. We've tried pulling the taps from the reds when they start to bud to extend the season on the sugar maples, but the sap seems to turn buddy at the same time. We have a short season here, it goes from no sap to buddy sap that's running like crazy in about 3 to 4 weeks.

[lyford]

I have around 100 taps which are mostly reds. As others have said my trees generally stop running before the sap gets buddy. We to receive compliments on the flavor, I’d guess most syrup makes do though. If it didn’t taste good we wouldn’t be making it!

[blissville maples]

so I have a thought I was kicking around.... since soft maples tend to bud before sugar maples, is there any advantages to tap them earlier? been having some January thaws lately and was wondering if I should be more proactive to get on them instead of trying to wait out and see what February brings.

I tap them early and don't change the spouts, I hope that the combination makes them close up before bud starts, Last year I was going to go around and pull my red Maples only seems how sugaring went to the middle of April and what I noticed is that most of them had stopped running anyways so I never did untap them my syrup was good to the last draw off that's when we noticed and off flavor but it was not buddy, more along lines of spoilage.

[blissville maples]

Don't be afraid of the swelled bud ends, reds always have large bud clusters compared to sugars, even in December.