Pull Spouts or Not???

[Lloyd'sMapleSyrupandSap]

I recently saw a maple tubing operation that leaves the spouts in the trees until they return to tap the next season. Then, they cut off the old spout and replace it with a new one. Of course they drill new holes and dispose of the old spouts properly. Any opinions if this harms the tree or possibly helps the tree? What about the dirty tubing? Saves a lot of labor...

[Russell Lampron]

I've always felt that the sooner that I can get the taps pulled the sooner the tree can begin to heal. I feel that leaving the old taps in for a year is hurting the tree by delaying the healing process.

I don't wash my tubing and use a new CV2 spout every year and don't see any advantage to washing the tubing like I used to do. The sap in the tubing turns to vinegar and has is some cleaning effect. When I washed my tubing I would get algae growth which was harder to clean than the sludge caused by the old sap. I let the first run, which usually isn't much, run on the ground to flush the tubing.

[Sap Raider]

Here is the way I look at it, when you at shot at the doctors do they leave the needle in after the shot? The tree grew without the spout in it adding a foreign object to the tree even for a short peiod of time is really not in the trees best interest. I know that the seasonal taps are sterile to start, but bacteria is still present for sure.

[maplwrks]

Russell is right on. Pull the taps so that the tree can start to heal. Many of these guys that leave taps in have no respect for the trees that future generations will tap.

As far as cleaning, it is a total waste of time. Like Russ said, the sap will turn to an acid and help clean the tubing when it does come out. Plain water will turn to algae! Chlorine will harm your RO membranes and make your syrup taste like @^%$*! I just let the first 200 gallons go on the ground.

[GeneralStark]

I'm quite certain this practice does not help the tree... Removing the tap as quickly as possible does give the tree a chance to heal more quickly. I have on occasion missed a tap or two when pulling in the the spring. Come the following spring the taphole in those cases was noticeably less "healed" than in cases where the spout was quickly pulled.

[Russell Lampron]

Russell is right on. Pull the taps so that the tree can start to heal. Many of these guys that leave taps in have no respect for the trees that future generations will tap.

As far as cleaning, it is a total waste of time. Like Russ said, the sap will turn to an acid and help clean the tubing when it does come out. Plain water will turn to algae! Chlorine will harm your RO membranes and make your syrup taste like @^%$*! I just let the first 200 gallons go on the ground.

Thank you Mike! I wish we had a "Like" button!

[heus]

I totally agree with Russ and Mike.

[Mark B]

I'm quite certain this practice does not help the tree... Removing the tap as quickly as possible does give the tree a chance to heal more quickly. I have on occasion missed a tap or two when pulling in the the spring. Come the following spring the taphole in those cases was noticeably less "healed" than in cases where the spout was quickly pulled.

My uncle, before I took over the woods, would occasionally leave his taps in. And he had many years of tappings for me to observe. The ones from years left in seem to be very obvious to me. They all do eventually heal over, but there are some that remain deeply divotted and are just slow in filling in and healing over. And its pretty consistent through the woods. Also, Im actually adding new lines, a few a year and beginning to cycle some of the older ones out or at least give them a break for a year or so as some are almost girdled and poorly patterned when tapped.

[Sugar Bear]

Leaving taps in over the summer is up there with not brushing your teeth over the summer !

While I have not hoot of a toot of a degree in Biology ... I strongly advise against it.

[heus]

Yeah I think anyone who intentionally does this has no respect whatsoever for the trees and sugarmaking in general. To the original poster, are you sure this actually happened? I cant believe anyone would do this intentionally. I could see if it happened one year maybe due to a tragedy or other issue in the sugarmaker's family and they had other things to worry about.

[Russell Lampron]

Yeah I think anyone who intentionally does this has no respect whatsoever for the trees and sugarmaking in general. To the original poster, are you sure this actually happened? I cant believe anyone would do this intentionally. I could see if it happened one year maybe due to a tragedy or other issue in the sugarmaker's family and they had other things to worry about.

I've seen it before and it was done intentionally. My father was leasing his trees to a local producer. The guy didn't pull his taps and my father found it in the middle of the summer. He pulled the taps himself and told the guy to come get his tubing.

[johnallin]

I've seen it before and it was done intentionally. My father was leasing his trees to a local producer. The guy didn't pull his taps and my father found it in the middle of the summer. He pulled the taps himself and told the guy to come get his tubing.

If that were me, he'd find his tubing on the side of the road!

[Bucket Head]

I agree with John on that. I'd do the same thing. I'd make it very clear that he was all done...

[Russell Lampron]

I started tapping those woods a few years later and the tubing was still there. Needless to say, I removed it! When I stopped tapping those woods myself the only thing that I left behind were the ruts in the mud from driving my tractor through.

[steve J]

I see taps being left in trees on a property I hunt in southern Vermont and it really pisses me off but its not my property and the taps are leased by a sugar maker down their. On a side note your starting to slowly convince me that my washing my lines are a waste of time lol.

[Tmeeeh]

Our neighbors allowed someone to tap their trees back in the 1950s. A few years ago they asked us to mow down the brush coming up in their back fields. There is a row of big old sugar maples on the edge of the field. The old tin buckets are still on the trees. The buckets have mostly disappeared inside the trees as the trees have grown around them!

[Bruce L]

Still seeing taps and buckets on trees from spring 2018 !!! Maybe they no longer care,but another generation might

[Russell Lampron]

On a side note your starting to slowly convince me that my washing my lines are a waste of time lol.

I've been tapping the same number of trees for enough years to see that I'm getting consistent sap yields year after year without washing my tubing. I just use a new CV2 spout every year.

[wiam]

I've been tapping the same number of trees for enough years to see that I'm getting consistent sap yields year after year without washing my tubing. I just use a new CV2 spout every year.

Same here. Except I use CV1

[Mark B]

Drove past 1 today that still had their TAPS in the trees.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We’re still pulling taps in Byron. Still about 4000 to do.

[ennismaple]

The sooner you pull taps the better. You want the spring sapwood growth and the fall growth to close the taphole up in one year if possible. The longer the taphole is open the more prone it can be to a fungus or other disease.

We do miss pulling a few taps every year and the junk that is in the lines is nasty the following spring and doesn't come clean afterwards. I can't imagine having all my tubing look like that.