from seed

[pennslytucky]

i have a sugar maple in my yard here in town that gives extremely sweet sap. it is a scrubby lookin thing, but its so sweet that i just keep a gallon or 2 in the fridge and drink it instead of pop (soda) or whatever. i havent tested it, since i dont have a jigger to do it with... is there a real chance that this tree might have exceptional genetics?

im thinkin about starting some of the seeds this summer in big pots to see if they will grow well. any trick to doing this? im 27 so i figger i have time to see them to maturity someday. have any of you tried this? waste of time?

[maplehound]

It is possible that it is higher than normal in sugar content, It is also possible that the tree is normal and that it is high do too ground conditions or the fact that it is in the open with almost no competion from other trees.
The best way to start the trees from seed would be to toss the seed into a small pile of leaves and wood chips, or a good compost. Then next spring pull the ones that grow out (very gently) then put in pots and place in a green house or in a trench where you can keep close track of them for the next 2 or 3 years. Then dig and plant where you want them. It's alot of work but it can be worth it.

[maple flats]

You should get a sap hydrometer first to get the sap sugar%. If it is exceptional you are best off getting cuttings to root, this will give you a clone. To get a cutting to root you can try rooting hormone, found in garden centers. Give the cutting a very light soil to root in such as peat moss or something with some with vermiculite in it. Don't drown the cutting but keep it moist. I have seen a farm where they do this with blueberry cuttings and use automated watering every few minutes. They grow them in sand but add very light fert solution to the water at times. You do need to duplicate the PH in the best range.
If you try the seeds you have no idea what the second parent had as a sugar %. Those who regularly propagate control both parents to get a desired result.

[MaplePancakeMan]

maple flats, what exactly is a cutting?

[maple flats]

Just cut 4-6" long sections of new this years (soft wood cuttings)or last years growth (hard wood cuttings) You can usually with hard wood cuttings go up several inches on each limb you cut, but do not get over about 1/4-3/8" diam. For soft wood cuttings you can only cut what is the tender growth from this season. If trying either method do not cut a limb that is growing long and spindly, pick limbs that have little bud spurs or rings. To locate these look carefully at any limb, if the bark is smooth with no sign of where a limb might try to grow, leave it there. Where a limb might grow in the future shows a little hint of a limb start, but no limb yet. You can see it in the bark. I forgot to mention. When you cut do it on a sharp angle and use a very sharp tool, do not crush the twig at the cut. Often a very sharp knife works best. Start by cutting a few limbs with conventional pruners and then set down with the limbs and a very sharp knife and just cut into lengths with one quick angles slice across the twig.

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

I have had very good luck with grafted trees.. I have a friend that does it for me and it seems to work well try one with a red maple root.. normally makes a fast grower with good sugar content.

[pennslytucky]

when should i get the cuttings?

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[pennslytucky]

thanks. i did some google searches a while ago and found a few articles on rooting clones or cuttings. i decided that ill try a few cuttings on mhy hbirthday (5-23) and a few more in june then a few more in late june or early july.

the sap has tested 4%+ up to 5.2% every time ive tested it, so lets keep our fingers crossed...

[mapleman3]

Hey in 40 years you'll have a good sweet bush ;)

[pennslytucky]

ill be 68... hopefully ill be able to find the time to enjoy it :)

[pennslytucky]

my experiment failed miserably last year....but since then, ive learned the "touch" of cloning and have done whole flats of other plants from cuttings. i can feel the sucess coming this year :) if they root well, i will have a couple hundred come july. if anyone here would like to plant a few, i would gladly give them out to whoever wants em