Evening flow

[Sugardaddy]

Sap becomes available for the tap as it flows up the tree during the warming of the day. Does the run sort of repeat itself at night as the tree cools?

I haven't checked my trees after dark, so I'm curious.

13 buckets, 26 taps up today. More tomorrow if the flow looks decent.

[gmcooper]

There is usually a rush of sap as the day cools down. Unfortunatly it usually does not often last long.

[325abn]

The sap runs up the tree????????????

[Sugardaddy]

325,

How would you describe it then?

[Brent]

the "bible" astonished me a few days ago when I learned that the sap we collect in the day is being forced DOWN by the heating of the small branches in the crown. The freeze at night causes reduced pressure (read partial vacume) which pulls sap up ... that we normally don't get (for reasons I don't understand at all ... seems to me if it's moving we should get it going either way.) In any case it all seemed backwards to what my teachers in elementary school taught and that was we got the sap as it was rising.

Was I reading this too late at night to get it right ??

[gmcooper]

Proctor research has the best research on this. Still kind of hard to explain. I just never heard that explaination Brent. Before we started making syrup when cutting firewood in the spring when cutting red maples the stump would have loads of sap running out and down over the side during the day. The trunk when cut up would leak sap but not for long. Stumps would run for several days that I remember, but I know we never checked them a week or two later.

[Sugardaddy]

Thanks folks.

325, I was hoping to hear back from you.

[325abn]

Does the sap even "flow" up or down or is it just "in" the trees cells?

If the sap does flow up or down would we not then have to make sure we get our taps into the vien or channel in which the sap flows?

[Sugardaddy]

If there is no sap flow, why doesn't the tap run dry once the sap in the cells surrounding that immediate area is depleted?

I understand that this is not like a faucet and I'm not tapping into a "pipe", but there is some flow involved. Capillary action, no?

Just trying to get a better handle on all of this. Much of what I read contradicts itself! I have a copy of The NA SP manual coming and I'm sure that will help.

[325abn]

I guess its the secret of the maple tree.

[Brent]

You're not alone when you find it illogical and confusing.