Poll: 2020 Sap sugar content

[DrTimPerkins]

Looking to determine how many producers had low sap sugar in the 2020 season.

[bill m]

I voted in "Low sugar, low seed" but I am just guessing about the seed. I do not own most of my taps so I am not in those woods during the fall to see if there are many seeds. I did not notice any while I was running new lines and tapping during January and February. As for the low sugar it was a little lower then in the past but not terrible. Ran from a high of 2.2 to a low of 1.6. A lot more in the range of 1.6 to 1.9 this year compared to others.

[GeneralStark]

I voted low sugar and moderate seed, but I'm not certain how one might judge a high seed year vs. a low seed year... I do believe that red maples in my woods had a higher than average seed year last growing season but that's just an anecdotal suspicion...Not sure about sugar maples.

The reading I have done on the subject suggests that maples have high seed years every second to third year, but age of the tree and growing conditions are important factors in overall production. I've seen one study here (https://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/research_papers/pdfs/scanned/OCR/ne_rp697.pdf) looking at patterns in seed production but haven't seen much else.

I assume there are more studies and people tracking seed production. Is it safe to assume that this is a regional phenomenon or is it more localized. The study shared above suggests there are regional variations but to what degree? Might maples in the northern half of Vermont for instance have high seed year while trees in the southern half may not?

[sapman]

I remember Lew Staats telling me he noticed high seed crop every election year. Not sure I see that here, but maybe around Lake Placid was?

[TapTapTap]

I voted high seed year because of the number of seeds (from large old, hard maples)I've cleaned off our new backyard patio. Since we installed it just last year, i really can't compare to previous years. But wow, they were everywhere and seedings on/in the gravel stone around the patio are sprouting all over the place already this spring.

I guess i should measure the amount of seeds i sweep up from now on. Haha

oh yea, i voted low sugar too.

[DrTimPerkins]

If you've not voted yet...please do so. The more data the better.

[Tap&sap]

Two years of high seeds in a row, equals low sugar! Atleast thats how it looks, two real dry summers seems to have stressed trees!

[ToadHill]

We had low sugar content, but I have no idea what the seed crop was like so I don't really know how I can vote.

[Mitchell tapper.]

My seed count is always high judging by the amount I clean out of my roof gutters every year.

[collinsmapleman2012]

i've noticed more seedlings appearing this spring than ever before, so i'm guessing high amounts of seeds. our sugar was .5% lower on average this season.

[jimsudz]

Sugar started out higher then normal then dropped very quickly.Dropped lower the normal. Seed production was moderate last year, it seemed much higher the year before.

[DrTimPerkins]

Bump...please keep the poll responses coming folks.

[regor0]

I just had my highest of the season yesterday, 2.9%. Rarely do I ever get above 2%.


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[Amber Gold]

My SSC was very low this year, but I have no idea what the seed count was. I used moderate.

[eagle lake sugar]

Another late season here, we didn't get any sap until April. I probably have another week but the sugar is dropping. It started out at 2.5%, was 2% for a week or so and has been dropping ever since even though the temps have been perfect. It's 1.5% today. I think it was an average seed year.

[Corn Cribe]

Not sure on seed production, I put moderate, but excellent sugar content in central Minnesota. Averaged over 3% on silver maples in the yard, 2.5 to 3 on reds in the woods, last year around 2% overall. That made up for a disappointing season for sap production and boiling. I only get to my trees on the weekend, first 3 times I had lower than expected sap level and everything was frozen solid. Fourth time was great, then everything dried up. Woods trees never got going until the end, there was still a foot of snow on the ground in the forest in early April.

[lew]

We ended our season last year with the lowest sugar content I've ever gathered 0.5. This year we started low at 1.6 and dropped again to 0.5. However we gathered 0.5 for over a week just to make a .24 gallons of syrup per tap average. The worst we have done since switching everything to vacuum 15 years ago. We also had a very poor amount of sap per tap this year.I

[Brian Ryther]

75.25 :1 overall

[DrTimPerkins]

Let's go folks...just a few more poll responses to break 100.

[Biz]

My sugar content was extremely low. 2700 gallons of sap from my 200 taps, 45 gallons of syrup, 60:1 average ratio. I have 2/3 red maples so that is part of the reason, still it was worse than last year's ratio which was 55:1 average. I have one bush that is 50 mature roadside sugar maple taps but I only saw a high near 2.5% sugar content a few times early on, then 2% much of the time, and around 1% late in the season.

I had a thought: last fall I noted that the foliage color was not good at all in my area. None of the fluorescent orange maple leaves that we often see. Can't help but wonder if that was an early indicator of sugar content, or just a coincidence.

Dave

[Geroldn]

About 1.8% sugar early in season, 1.2-1.5% for most of it. 0.8% for the last week. Good tasting sap and lots of it, just no sugar.

[phil-t]

I found quite low sugar content in my sap this season - starting at just under 3, where in recent years it has been 3.8 +. Yes lots of seed last year. This year, on the seed thing, way different and low.
Is there a connection?

[Someclown]

2147921480

I was in the 3-4% range most of the season, very little seed this spring and very small leaves but lots.