I have opposite trees for sap brix

[Ocelotsden]

I always suspected some of my trees were way above average based on never needing anywhere near 40 gallons to get a gallon of 66 brix syrup. This year I got a new refractometer for low brix, 0-10 to check sap. I already use one for finished syrup, but of course that's no good for sap.

Anyway, I tapped a dozen trees on Sunday and they are dripping decent today, so I checked some trees by dripping right from the spile tube onto the refractometer. I had already calibrated with pure water.

My results were great and as I suspected, my one big nearly 3 foot silver maple that's in my front yard and can produce several gallons of sap per day on 2 taps was amazing and much higher than my sugar maples.

These results were dripped right out of the spile onto the ATC refractometer, I guess I have opposite trees!:

Silver maple sap 3.7 Brix
Big Norway Maple 24" 3.0 Brix
Sugar Maple 2.6 Brix
Sugar Maple 2.5 Brix
Sugar Maple 2.3 Brix
Sugar Maple 2.5 Brix

I didn't check the other 6 further away sugar maples, but I suspect similar.

[DrTimPerkins]

Is the Silver Maple growing near your leach field? :D

[SDdave]

Is the Silver Maple growing near your leach field? :D

My best trees border a cattle feed lot!

SDdave

[DrTimPerkins]

My best trees border a cattle feed lot!

Free fertilizer. Bet they grow well and produce plenty of sweet sap.

NOTE....this doesn't mean I'm recommending people spread fertilizer in their woods unless it is indicated by testing.

[Ocelotsden]

Is the Silver Maple growing near your leach field? :D

Nope, There is a drywell for our washing machine around the edge of the tree dripline, but the leach field is the other side of the yard. Where the tree is though tends to be a wet area, since it's sort of at the bottom of my hilly yard and with the road close by the roots are in sort of a bowl. It's one of only two trees in my front yard and the other is 30 foot blue spruce. The crown has been cut back a lot over the years to since it's near the power lines, so the trunk is much bigger than you would think looking at the crown.

[Ocelotsden]

I just checked and since just yesterday, that silver maple dripped about 5 gallons of sap total on 2 taps. The Brix dropped a little since yesterday from 3.7 to 3.5, but I'll take it! The sugar maples in the woods produced a rough average of about 12oz each, but it should pick up soon.