old trees

[newguy]

I have some OLD 125 yrs + sugar maples. 3' plus in diameter. Some flowed incredible. A select few would not flow, but just drip. Any suggestions?

[mapleman3]

Had the same thing happen many times, what you would think would be a fantastic flowing tree, hardley flows at all. I think it depends still on how you tap it, maybe that its so old, you need to chip away some of the thick bark to be able to get into the sap wood... you may just be skinning that layer. but I do believe that some trees just don't flow well, location? soil? who knows

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Also, try looking for the area of the tree that appear to have the most life or are the most healthy. There are a lot of cold spots on old trees that have life but don't run much sap. As a tree continues to get older, the tops will start decreasing in size and you may have 20% of the outside of the tree feeding 90% of the sap. :?

[forester1]

Next season try telling those dripping trees they will be firewood the next year if they don't start producing. Be sure to speak loudly.

[mapleman3]

works for my Chickens :wink: 8)

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Probably if you have ever tapped with buckets that you soon find out which tree produces more sap then the others-they all fall within the "Pecking" order that continues through it's life. Some flow sap more then others and some won't flow a cup full. Why? Not enough time this morning to give you an 7 page report.

[forester1]

Basically it's due to 1)genetics or 2)environment. Trees with deep, wide crowns produce more than crowded skinny crowned trees. Trees will produce more sometimes by a brook or perched on a rock ledge. But mostly it's genetics and for a 125 year old tree it already is what it is and not much can be done.

[mapleman3]

I have a church that I tap their trees in front. there is a 5-10% grade from the tree nearest the church front door to the one farthest from the door. they are equally spaced apart All with equal size crowns... the lowest tree (nearest the church) gives an incredible amount of sap, but as you go uphill away from the church ,each tree gives progressivly less sap . the last tree gives a pitifull amount compared to the first one. so it goes to show you, all trees aren't equal

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Another point to make about the prior post by mapleman is that the tree closest to the church is lower in elevation than all the other trees and probably produces more sap because it gets more water. Like Jerry said in prior posts, the more access a tree has to water, the more sap it will produce. This is not always the case, but holds true probably 99% of the time. :D

[mapleman3]

that was my point exactly :wink: 8)

[brookledge]

Jim,
The closer you are to the church the more blessed your trees are so that they produce more right near by. I wish I had some next to a church.
Keith

sweetest tree closest to the lord!!!

[ontario guy]

That is a great idea, i am going to start building a few little churches and place them around the bush.... thanks guys.....

PS and if you spill some you just bless the roots with the holy water and get even more sap...maybe i will only need to tap 5 or 10 trees this year if this works.

[mapleman3]

Ahh catching on for sure.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Yeah, but if you are not living right the churches may keep the trees from running at all. :lol: :lol:

Someone help me. 8O Maybe I am missing something but I can't see how any church trees would run for mapleman. 8O :?:

[mapleman3]

Hey Hey wise guy :wink: :wink: 8)

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Jim- well on those big-uns it all depends upon if it is a male or a female maple. You know the old Hags hate to give anything up? Found this maple chart a couple of minutes ago that i thought i sent Jeremy? it's from 1931 and was a comparison of flows from hard and soft maple quarts of sap per season(There saying not a seasonal but a sap flow from a short period)from Somerset County, Penna. ---
Tree Dia. Class--Avg.# Buckets--Hard maple qts.--Soft maple Qts.
9-16"--1-----8.9---5.5
17-23--1.5--15.1--7.4
24-28--2.2--17.7--12.5
29-33--2.8--22.4--13.4
34-36--3.6--27.7--20.3
37-45--3.8--31.7--18.9
Now being located in Mass. anything could happen with the trees like 2 male or 2 female too close together-Might also depend upon how much light is on the subject or if their working under the cover of darkness? and of course a multitude of other unknown factors.