Pulling reds off the line late season?

[canaanmaple]

Does anyone with mixed reds and sugars on the same lateral lines pull the reds off late season since they start to bud out first and may possibly taint the sap? I have about 15% reds to sugars on the lines.

[VTnewguy]

We have both reds and sugar maples on the same lines. We have found when the reds are done that the sugars are not far behind for the whole season to be done.

[DrTimPerkins]

Same here (both reds and sugars on the same lines). For years we never tapped red maples. Now about 40% of our taps are reds. They will "bud out" early, but typically these are flower buds that don't affect the sap quality.

[lew]

Same here. When the reds are done so are the sugars

[canaanmaple]

Gotcha, thanks all!

I just made a small amount of syrup from some sap yesterday to see where things stood before it runs again later this week, and it has some chocolate taste to it. Even though there are still no visible buds on the north facers, the end must be near. Last year we were making good syrup into April, but this year the winter was so mild it's been running great since early Feb.
Record year for some of the larger producers nearby who weren't stubborn about tapping too early!

[Dave Puhl]

The reds I used to tap on 5/16 gravity when it warmed up too much they just quit..not worth the effort to untap them just pull them all in the end..

[bmbmkr]

I had 425 sugars and had 17 reds tapped. In the woods right behind my house, I had 62 taps on 3/16 with a shurflo pulling 24" vac, 12 were reds. The reds buds were swelling 2 weeks ago, so I went out and cut some of those drops out and spliced the lateral back together. I missed 6 of em and when I boiled 600 gal of sap- syrup was a little off tasting that night, next day it tasted like the hot side of the bottom of a waffle house coffee pot. I went out and found 6 that I had missed, they were budded out all the way at the top. I cut those out and the next 600 gallons made delicious syrup. I have 2 reds in a woods with 225 sugars, and 2 reds in my other woods with 175 sugars. Next year I'm lettin those alone, and the 12 behind the house are goin on their own lateral. I bottled 5 1/2 gallon of that buddy syrup in half pints and pints, and contaminated the 3 gallon I had in my canner already- expensive mistake. The reds budded around the 6th of March, our silvers budded 2 weeks before that- none of them tapped. My sugar are still running, barely- have about 100 gallon in the tanks last night, it's about to thaw right now I just went out and turned the shurflo back on, see if I get enough today to even sweeten my pans. We are in Lawrence County Ohio, just across the river from Huntington. elevation 600' ASL north side of the hill.

[canaanmaple]

I had 425 sugars and had 17 reds tapped. In the woods right behind my house, I had 62 taps on 3/16 with a shurflo pulling 24" vac, 12 were reds. The reds buds were swelling 2 weeks ago, so I went out and cut some of those drops out and spliced the lateral back together. I missed 6 of em and when I boiled 600 gal of sap- syrup was a little off tasting that night, next day it tasted like the hot side of the bottom of a waffle house coffee pot. I went out and found 6 that I had missed, they were budded out all the way at the top. I cut those out and the next 600 gallons made delicious syrup. I have 2 reds in a woods with 225 sugars, and 2 reds in my other woods with 175 sugars. Next year I'm lettin those alone, and the 12 behind the house are goin on their own lateral. I bottled 5 1/2 gallon of that buddy syrup in half pints and pints, and contaminated the 3 gallon I had in my canner already- expensive mistake. The reds budded around the 6th of March, our silvers budded 2 weeks before that- none of them tapped. My sugar are still running, barely- have about 100 gallon in the tanks last night, it's about to thaw right now I just went out and turned the shurflo back on, see if I get enough today to even sweeten my pans. We are in Lawrence County Ohio, just across the river from Huntington. elevation 600' ASL north side of the hill.

well then, I will test this theory and get back to you :) (only boiling a small test batch first though....) mine are at 3500' north facing steeps so maybe there is hope but not holding my breath!

[Russell Lampron]

About 90% of my taps are reds. I've been tapping them for 15 or so years and have never made buddy syrup. I always go as long or longer than the other producers in the area before I call it a season too. The reds just seem to stop running at the end. Don't confuse flowers with leaf buds. When the reds flower it doesn't affect the flavor of the syrup.

[bmbmkr]

About 90% of my taps are reds. I've been tapping them for 15 or so years and have never made buddy syrup. I always go as long or longer than the other producers in the area before I call it a season too. The reds just seem to stop running at the end. Don't confuse flowers with leaf buds. When the reds flower it doesn't affect the flavor of the syrup.

Russel,

I think you are right about the flowers, the bees have been bringing in pollen like crazy. Yesterday I was out cuttin up a red pine that uprooted amongst he red maple bush, there were so many bees in the tops of the reds it sounded like a swarm- we're a month away from that. I'm still learning about buds- but that syrup two weeks ago sure was bitter. Flavor came right back after I spliced those trees out.

Canaan, I envy your elevation a little, I grew up in the foothills of Salt Rock, down south of Huntington, We'd go to the Mountains on vacation every summer. One of my best friends lives in Mackeyville, he's showed me a few a them steep hills around Tucker & Randolph.

[Sugar Bear]

19782

A photo of a red maple with Blossoms out and leaves about to be, taken about 10 years ago in mid April in Weston CT.

I have seen Reds put the flowers out in January in these parts.

This year as cold as it has been, the flowers have been out on reds a long time, even since early February and even with temps approaching 0F at times. My guess would be that they probably utilize and or manufacture some form of ethylene glycol.

I have seen crocus put flowers out as early as February 7.