Red Maple healed tap holes or no sap flow?

[Openwater]

My reds have barely produced any sap over the past week, but I'm not sure if it's due to the holes healing from the February warm-up, or they've just shut off for the season. They are on a vacuum pump. There are a few red flower buds appearing in the upper tree canopy. Weather forecast looks good for sap flow over the next week. Thinking about retapping to see if I can produce a little more this week to salvage this unusual season. Some of these trees are not very healthy and will likely be culled before next season. I'd appreciate any advice or suggestions.

[DRoseum]

Similar here. The unusually warm weather has impacted the tap holes and Reds are known for shutting down. I am on vacuum as well, predominately reds and have seen minimal flow on optimal days. Retapping isn't worth it compared to the long-term staining it causes in the tree in my opinion. It's just a down year for most of us.

[Openwater]

That's pretty much what I thought. Just needed a little confirmation before I start pulling taps.
Thank you.

[DRoseum]

I am going to wait out the next week before pulling mine. Hoping to get a little more and make some dark.

[DrTimPerkins]

When temperatures get too high (anything above 50 is bad, 60 is worse, 70 is terrible), microbes run rampant in the tapholes and induce taphole drying pretty quickly. This happens faster in tapholes on the southern sides of trees -- which is why it's a good idea to make sure you're not preferentially tapping just on the sunny sides of trees.

[Openwater]

I guess the lower elevation trees must have warmed up more than the ones up on the mountainside because the 18 trees down in the floodplain have pretty much stopped running, but I had a pretty good run on the 25 trees on the mountain; collected a little over 30 gallons from them over yesterday and today. I'm trying to keep a consistent 25inHg of vacuum on them to keep them running as long as possible to make up for the 80 gallons of sap that I dumped because it went ropey last week.
Just curious, but are the microbes that heal tap holes the same microbes that cause ropey sap?

[DrTimPerkins]

Just curious, but are the microbes that heal tap holes the same microbes that cause ropey sap?

There is a wide diversity of things that'll grow in sap, including several different types of bacteria, fungi, yeasts. Microbes that cause ropey sap include: Aerobacter aerogenes, Bacillus aceris and Enterobacter agglomerans, probably among others.

Interesting paper here https://mapleresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/1218ropy.pdf if you really want to head out into the weeds.

[Openwater]

Interesting paper here https://mapleresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/1218ropy.pdf if you really want to head out into the weeds.

Definitely an eye-opening study. So when we RO our sap to higher sugar %, we're basically producing a culture plate that's already been inoculated; add some time, a little heat/warm-up, and voila - ropy sap.
And I thought Pseudomonas only caused pneumonia and skin infections.
Now I need some psychotherapy for the PTSD flashbacks of micro, organic and biochem. Thank goodness MapleTrader provides effective therapy.
Thanks Doc

[DanielS.]

Years ago it not uncommon for folks to ream tap holes to try and extend their season, or when they dried up during a warm spell. I think there was a study from UVM where they showed reaming didn't really accomplish enough to make it worthwhile; Dr. Tim would know for sure. My guess is that reaming it didn't remove enough of the affected wood to create a 'fresh start', and that there were enough bacteria present after reaming to cause taps to shut down again pretty quickly.

[DRoseum]

Reaming tap holes leads to double the size of stain/compartmentalization of the wood (e.g. no sap flow zone) and is not a sustainable or advised practice. Bad for trees and future sap yields.

[DrTimPerkins]

Reaming tap holes leads to double the size of stain/compartmentalization of the wood (e.g. no sap flow zone) and is not a sustainable or advised practice. Bad for trees and future sap yields.

https://mapleresearch.org/pub/wound0621/