Minimum length of drops

[tgormley358]

My 6th year of sugaring this season, getting ready and hoping to learn something about drop length. I have around 140 taps now all using 5/16 laterals with 5/16 drops, after a few years experimenting with 3/16 and finding my slope of 5-15’ wasn’t enough. I had some natural vacuum but it was offset by problems I couldn’t figure out. So I’m keeping it simpler for now.

Question - am I limiting sap flow by using drops less than 2’ ? I’ve read a lot saying 24-30” or more, but on many trees the tap hole is only 6” above my lateral line, and my Tees are 7-8” laterally from the tap hole. Is there a problem with making that drop only 1’? To use a 2’ drop on that I’d have to have my T at least 12-18” from the tap hole, and I was taught to have my Ts maybe 7-8” from tap hole. Is that where I’m wrong ?

Thanks in advance.

[JoeJ]

I have been using 40" drops for 7 years. This allows you to access a wider tapping band to keep your spouts holes far apart and give you access to new wood and eliminate the chance of hitting brown non productive wood. Using short drops results in cluster tapping.

Joe

[tgormley358]

I have been using 40" drops for 7 years. This allows you to access a wider tapping band to keep your spouts holes far apart and give you access to new wood and eliminate the chance of hitting brown non productive wood. Using short drops results in cluster tapping.

Joe

Thanks. I get that, but I haven’t been Re-using drops yet, this might be the first year I do on some lines. So I’m ok there as long as I move Tap locations this season. I wondered if the short drops also reduced sap flow, other things being equal.

[maple flats]

back about 2004 I made my drops 24", I later went to 28", then 32" and now 36". I see no reason to keep the tap within 6-8" of the tap hole. You want the drop long enough that you can reach completely around the tree in one direction or the other so you can tap where you should.
You should realize that if tapping without vacuum, you want to tap 2-3" to the right (or left) but always in the same direction year after year and tap up or down about 6" from the previous year. If on vacuum, figure a pattern so you tap at like 12 o'clock yr 1, 6 in yr 2, 3 in yr 3 and 9 in yr 4, then in yr 5 about 5, then 11 and keep working in a pattern like that. If you use longer drops you have enough to cut off last years tap and add a new one. When the drop gets too short, replace it with a new one 36" or longer.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Even if you change drops every year, if you always keep them 12” you are limiting the area you can reach on the tree and tap. Try 3’ drops and you’ll stick with it.

[JoeJ]

There is a few confusing parts in your post. First of all, whether your drop is 1' long or 40" long, you will get the same amount of sap from the tap hole as long at you hit white wood when drilling the hole. You are now using all 5/16 tubing with 5/16 drops so you should be using the same drop for 3-5 years depending on how often you want to change out your drops for sanitation purposes. The tee for the drop is usually within 3 inches of where the tubing touches the tree. It should not matter if the tap hole is 6" above the lateral or 3' above the lateral. You just need to keep your new tap holes spread around on all four aspects of the trees.

If you use a 1' drop on a 10" diameter tree your reachable taping zone will be only be 108 sq inches in area. If you use a 40" drop on the same tree, the reachable taping zone is 1,000% more 1,110 sq inches. This is assuming that you do not move you lateral line up higher on the tree to reach more good wood

Joe

[therealtreehugger]

If you use longer drops you have enough to cut off last years tap and add a new one. When the drop gets too short, replace it with a new one 36" or longer.

Maple Flats - I feel like the lightbulb just turned on above my head! Of course! Thanks!

[tgormley358]

There is a few confusing parts in your post. First of all, whether your drop is 1' long or 40" long, you will get the same amount of sap from the tap hole as long at you hit white wood when drilling the hole. You are now using all 5/16 tubing with 5/16 drops so you should be using the same drop for 3-5 years depending on how often you want to change out your drops for sanitation purposes. The tee for the drop is usually within 3 inches of where the tubing touches the tree. It should not matter if the tap hole is 6" above the lateral or 3' above the lateral. You just need to keep your new tap holes spread around on all four aspects of the trees.

If you use a 1' drop on a 10" diameter tree your reachable taping zone will be only be 108 sq inches in area. If you use a 40" drop on the same tree, the reachable taping zone is 1,000% more 1,110 sq inches. This is assuming that you do not move you lateral line up higher on the tree to reach more good wood

Joe
Much appreciated, Mapleflats, Enthusiast, and Maine. This will be super helpful for tapping this year. I’ve been moving my taps 6” vertical and horizontal each season, but not in a logical organized fashion as you’ve laid out. If you looked at my trees you’d probably scratch your heads in wonder. Happy tapping to all.

[Masnart]

These are great tips and valuable knowledge.
Do you replace the spiel each year?
I'm reading that an old spiel reduces the amount of sap flow.
Not sure how.
I use black plastic 5/16 and clean them with a bleach solution at the end of the season and beginning of the season.
I was disappointed last year that there wasn't good flow from what were perfect trees.

[eustis22]

I replace my spiles each year.

Given a 3 foot drop, how high up the tree are you tapping?

[Masnart]

As a newbie, the kit came with 10 Spiels and 10-24" lines.
I'm really small potatoes (personal use, kids, grandkids and gifts).
Now I'm hooked.
Bought 50' of line to be able to get to good wood and plan multiple year tap locations on these great trees.
I do not have a lot of potential growth now, but looking at retirement (early, because I'm tired of working) to expand my horizons.
Have hunting land in the next county that has productive potential.
Really appreciate the input.

[ennismaple]

I replace my spiles each year.

Given a 3 foot drop, how high up the tree are you tapping? Sometimes as high as I can reach (I'm 6'2"), sometimes at my knees. On vacuum we can tap anywhere the dropline will reach.

[tcross]

yeah basically anywhere now. i used to tap about 20 trees on a ladder. i was quite happy to see the study that uvm came out with about tapping below the lateral line!

[DrTimPerkins]

i was quite happy to see the study that uvm came out with about tapping below the lateral line!

Read it here... https://mapleresearch.org/pub/m1216belowlateral/ or see the video on the subject on the "Keys to High Sap Yields" playlist on the UVM YouTube site https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZP4fDl-nB9-4aZkQyDR070QpxcAr02q5

Short result...with good vacuum and very good sanitation practices, tapping below the lateral line will not result in reduced sap yield, but increases the size of the tapping band greatly, thus increasing tapping sustainability.

[eustis22]

Ok, do you tap high WITH a vacuum because I just have gravity? My laterals all are about waist high with my drops [formerly] being 12-18 inches in length. I will lengthen them this season in order to access more untapped trunk.

[JoeJ]

Eustis,
It does not matter if you tap using vacuum or just gravity. Each tap hole using either method causes the tree to seal off the wounded area around the tap hole. The longer the drop the more good wood you can reach


Joe

[tcross]

the reason you want a longer drop line is so you can tap all the way around the tree and avoid tapping near an old tap wound. being a hobby, you're probably fine with smaller drops for a few years if these are new trees.

[DrTimPerkins]

Read the paper linked here: https://mapleresearch.org/pub/tapzonemodel-2/

Then download the model located at:https://mapleresearch.org/pub/tzspreadsheet/ (an Excel spreadsheet) and play around with it a bit to see how tree size, dropline length, and other factors affect tapping sustainability.

[ennismaple]

Ok, do you tap high WITH a vacuum because I just have gravity? My laterals all are about waist high with my drops [formerly] being 12-18 inches in length. I will lengthen them this season in order to access more untapped trunk. I run some laterals at head height because I still want to have them draining towards the mainline. Some I simply cannot get slope and they slope backwards to the head tree. I always look at them and say to myself "It's better than not tapping them at all".

[RC Maple]

I'm reading this thread because I am tapping some trees for the first time and doing it with 5/16 tubing and drops (my tubing "pilot project"). I made the drops 36" for most of the trees that are between 10 and 12". For my taps on buckets, I have always moved to the right about 2" and up 6" and then down 6" the next year. I want to do the best job of utilizing the tapping band available and to make it simple to know where to find my next place to tap the following year. Staggering the face of the trees I tap, I am thinking of starting above the lateral and again moving to the right and over 2" until my drops are as low as I want them to go. I will have vacuum from a surflo pump. Thoughts on this plan of action from those with experience?