Season Already Over?

[cfenton86]

Looks like next weekend could be it here in NY. I see flower sprouts coming out of the ground in the flower boxes at work. What do you guys think? If its over, this would be the quickest season I have ever seen.

[Trevor5]

I hope not, I still have over a foot of snow and ground that is frozen solid. Tapped last weekend and from 24 taps have seen maybe 10 gallons since Saturday, I don't think my trees have even started.

[phil-t]

LOL, maybe where you live! Those flower boxes might be in one of those "things" called an ecological niche. :cool: I can see an excellent season ahead.

[maple flats]

Check AccuWeather, it shows you have 2 more warm days, then into early April most nights will be below freezing, making a good maple season

[bigschuss]

Already over? I am not even done tapping yet.

[Woody77]

I'm in central Michigan. I watch both accuweather and the weather channel app's. Accuweather has us running great out till April 1st . The weather channel app has us done next Friday. I pray it's more than 10 days. We just had a 3 day thaw with good thunderstorms tonight I think the frost is mostly out of the ground now. I hope the flow picks up here.

[Obidiah]

My first real flow was today so I hope we've got another 3 weeks or so

[goose52]

Flowers coming up? frost out? i'm just hoping the recent rain hasn't made the hills on our camp road too slippery to drive in on and that it's knocked down the snow enough so that i can get to the trees without having a heart attack! it's going to be no fun shoveling paths thru the plowed snow banks on the road to get into the woods especially if they're ice encrusted. i think we might have a week or 4 of season left in the UP.

[DrTimPerkins]

Looks like next weekend could be it here in NY. I see flower sprouts coming out of the ground in the flower boxes at work. What do you guys think? If its over, this would be the quickest season I have ever seen.

Buds, flowers, mud, birds...I try not to worry about things I can't control.

My suggestion....people should quit looking at things like this and just make syrup. It isn't over until the sap stops running or turns buddy. There will be plenty of time to talk about it when it's done.

[Daveg]

LOL, maybe where you live! Those flower boxes might be in one of those "things" called an ecological niche. :cool: I can see an excellent season ahead.19703
Snow cover, depth of frozen soil, sun, air temperature, topography all play a part in awakening the sap flow.

[michiganphil]

Buds, flowers, mud, birds...I try not to worry about things I can't control.

My suggestion....people should quit looking at things like this and just make syrup. It isn't over until the sap stops running or turns buddy. There will be plenty of time to talk about it when it's done.

The Dr.'s right! Don't worry, the only predictable thing about sugaring is that it is unpredictable.

[twofer]

Buds, flowers, mud, birds...I try not to worry about things I can't control.

My suggestion....people should quit looking at things like this and just make syrup. It isn't over until the sap stops running or turns buddy. There will be plenty of time to talk about it when it's done.

I noticed you didn't mention frogs. Should I be worried about spring peepers?!!?!

:)

[Z/MAN]

If you believe the forecast I have a bridge to sell you.

[cfenton86]

Buds, flowers, mud, birds...I try not to worry about things I can't control.

My suggestion....people should quit looking at things like this and just make syrup. It isn't over until the sap stops running or turns buddy. There will be plenty of time to talk about it when it's done.

Gee wiz Doc...buds and a week of no overnight freezing are things we shouldn't look at!? I'm pretty sure that is exactly what ends the season. Unless the weather changes drastically here, I'll be pulling taps next Monday

[cfenton86]

LOL, maybe where you live! Those flower boxes might be in one of those "things" called an ecological niche. :cool: I can see an excellent season ahead.

I'm sure you New Yorkers that live in the northern region will have a great season ahead. I live on the PA border and it ain't looking so good. We just got started with good runs last week and now looking ahead, the end of the week may be the last

[DrTimPerkins]

Gee wiz Doc...buds and a week of no overnight freezing are things we shouldn't look at!? I'm pretty sure that is exactly what ends the season. Unless the weather changes drastically here, I'll be pulling taps next Monday

Didn't mean to offend, and obviously I don't know what you've had for weather so far, however it looks like decent sugaring weather in your forecast. Pull taps if you like -- your call.

19729

[spud]

There still is a ton of time to have a great season where I live. I have had the bulk of my season in April several times. The buds are a long ways from coming out. I'm just hoping my sap gets above 2% for the bulk of the season.

Spud

[bigschuss]

I always get a kick out the guys who ask if it's too early to start tapping on New Year's Day because of one good day of nice weather, and the ones who call it quits by early February because the the long range forecast looks bad. Beyond that, I think it is fairly useless to ask on an open forum like this whether the season is already over.
With a sugaring season that occurs over vastly different times throughout the geographic range in which it happens, how can there even be an answer to that? The OP's season sounds like it's over. At 2,000 ft. elevation and with 2' of snow still mine hasn't even really started yet. In the valley 30 minutes away and no snow they are in the thick of it.

[goose52]

I noticed you didn't mention frogs. Should I be worried about spring peepers?!!?!

:)

Peepers are my biggest concern during sugar season. Never happened around my neck of the woods that i know of but i've heard tales that up in canada peepers will go for either ur Achilles or knee tendons (whichever is least protected) to get u down, then go for the jugular once they do. I try to be done way before the peepers come out. i love maple syrup but not that much.

[DrTimPerkins]

Peepers are my biggest concern during sugar season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfrJzkpzCyg

Peepers indicate the end of our season about 75% or better of the time. Still a foot of ice on our pond, so hopefully we won't be hearing them anytime soon.

[cfenton86]

Didn't mean to offend, and obviously I don't know what you've had for weather so far, however it looks like decent sugaring weather in your forecast. Pull taps if you like -- your call.

19729


Not offended. Just trying to use observational science here; buds, flowers growing, temps. I did however notice that there is a huge difference in forcast temps for this coming weekend between "the weather channel" and "accuweather". 10°F differnce. That makes all the difference. As far as the ecological niche, well maybe. We do have some unique weather in our area compared to our neighbors. I just wondered what others in NY were experiencing. I'm not typically the one to be a whistle blower on when "I" think the season will be over and I definately am not trying to say that the entie season is over for the entire maple producing region. Most would have to admit that the weather this winter/spring has been quite abnormal. We usually get 5 weeks or more here and its looking like we could end up with half that this year

[DrTimPerkins]

Most would have to admit that the weather this winter/spring has been quite abnormal. We usually get 5 weeks or more here and its looking like we could end up with half that this year

I've quit saying that any weather is not normal. Seems like "normal" is something that only happens when you average the "abnormal" over a long period of time. In any case, the only indicator I go by for the season ending is: 1) sap stops running or 2) syrup tastes like crap (sour, buddy). Nothing else really counts. Some of the really large bulk producers ignore rule #2, and only go by rule #1.

As far as flowers go...oftentimes flowers are not in their "normal" climatic range, so they can do weird things. And if they are planted near a building or near a strong light source, they can have a really weird microclimate that fools them into doing weird things. As for buds...better if I just don't start on that rant.

So have a good season...whatever it turns out to be for you.

[Woody77]

Well here in central Michigan it looks like Wednesday is above freezing then a good night Thursday and Friday then 40°for lows from there out. What do you do? Last year taps were in for 7 weeks. Go figure this year is only 12 days long.

[canaanmaple]

We have some perfect sugaring weather AGAIN this week, but the test batch I just made has that dreaded tell-tale mild tootsie roll essence/taste to it. Since I see buds on the reds, I am going to assume it's not metabolism. We have been makin syrup for the past 5 weeks though at least so no qualms here, and maybe the next run can be just called "natural sweetener" if I decide to spend the firewood :)

[goose52]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfrJzkpzCyg

Peepers indicate the end of our season about 75% or better of the time. Still a foot of ice on our pond, so hopefully we won't be hearing them anytime soon.

Thanks, doc, for that blast from the past! i remember watching that one! however, i've never associated peepers with the sugar season. once i get 12 gal of syrup i get out the woods while the getting is good. once the road firms up i go back and start making firewood and then i hear quite the serenade. you guys just stay in the sugar bush longer than i do i guess.

[wlatrout]

Here in no. ind. the fat lady has sung. In the last two days After 2 nites of freezing temps. I had 2 good runs , unfortunately the sap was buddy. It smelled like cooking sweet corn and left an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth. I pulled tapes and started cleanup' Short but a good year.