Tapped today Pa.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Well, Ive been watching the weather channel long range forcast and it might be time for me to start putting some taps in the first week of feb. Last year I had some in already and made some nice syrup by this time last year..

There calling as of right now for tues threw thurs to be 20's lowS and 40's high's. I will watch this week end and if they show the whole week looking this way Im going to go ahead and get started I think. (mabe 30-40 TAPS)

I got reds so I dont want to lose any good syrup at this point. Last year we got that early warm snap and it seem to almost come to a complete stop. When it did finally start again it was all dark grade a? But it was good tasting never the less.

Any thoughts out there?? :idea:

Thanks
Charlie 8)

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[DougM]

Among finishing up some other stuff I got in 51 out of 100 taps today. The trees were running like crazy. Cooler tomorrow, but forecast is for freeze/thaw through next week after that.

[syrupmaker]

Gee thanks Doug,just what i needed to hear.The temps this way are looking imperessive for a possible run,but i think the trees need a bit to thaw so i guess i'll hold off yet.

Rick

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

01-31-05 Well got my first 25 taps in today, gonna wait on the 80 or so I have left.

Todays high temps where 36-38 degree's, no wind.
Tonights low suppose to be round 14 degree's.

Charlie

[Iver]

I live in Somerset county, but not Pennsylvania, in Maine. What's going on? The forecast is for highs in the 40's until next week sometime! Is this spring? Did the groundhog see it's shadow? Is it global warming? And most important- is it time to tap? The earliest we ever tap is in the end of February. What's going on? Anyway, it's very nice weather so I'll go up to the woodlot and get something done. :?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Same here, I don't know what to do. It is supposed to be from 44 to 50 six days in a row starting on Sat all the way through next Thurs. It has been on of the strangest winters I have ever seen and we have gotten maybe a foot of snow total and that is pushing it. I am contemplating tapping about 280 of my 425 taps that are on the south sides and the other 140 taps is in my one bush that is on the north side I may not tap for a couple of weeks. I don't know what to do. I hate to tap this early even though I am ready. Maybe they will change the forecast by tommorrow back colder so I will know for sure, but it keeps going the other way every time I look at it. I hate to miss a huge run, but I also don't want to tap and then it freeze up for 2 to 3 weeks. 8O 8O 8O 8O

[Dave Y]

where in Pa is Slatington?
I am in NW Pa and it is Snowing was to get a dusting and got 2".Weather ist to be in the low 40's to low 20's.w/clouds and a chance of rain and snow the next 10 days

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Hey Brandon,
even though we are getting close to 40 the tree's are not giving anything up here.
I got about 5 gals of SAP so far from 25 taps. which are in asbout 4 days now.
So for me, I will not tap anymore till I see it run better. Its suppose to get up to 42-44 here in the next few days and it looks like it will last for at least a week or longer with those temps.

which to me seems like tapping weather? But Im just a silly green horn!

Like you said before, hold on as long as you can. If it does run good I will put more Taps in.

By the way Ive only taped the hole about 1 1/2". I figure at least I could go back if it seems like the tree's dry out and go to about 2 1/2" and a bit bigger bit.

Charlie

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Hey Dave,
Slatington Is about 20 miles north of Allentown Pa. or 60 miles north of philly Pa.

Charlie

[Dave Y]

Charlie,
I thought you must be in that neck of the woods. where i am we call that a different country or New jersey. I see you are tapping red maples. How is that working for you?

Dave

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Well Dave this is only Our 2nd year at it.

Last year it seem to end right when it began.

Im hopeing for better production this year. The tree's didnt seem to run very good last year.

I did manage to make about 5 gals of finished syrup with about 40 taps.

This year we will be putting about 100+ taps out. We would like to make at least 15 gals of finished syrup.

Got two of my nabors said I can tap there tree's if I want(about 150 more tree's there). But I wanna see what I get from mine this year.

I dont have a very good evap yet!!

Well sell alot of eggs here and the people bought up all the syrup. Before I knew it, it was all gone and I had 2 bottles that I had left for myself.

They are always asking me when will I have syrup again.

We even Had a guy come and ask if I would set up a small stand at a small ag show. But I had to tell him that I could not supply it with Enough syrup. He said about 2000 people go threw this small ag show in a week.

I said mabe next year or the year after, if my production goes up I may be able to do it.

Charlie

[Dave Y]

Charlie,
You sound a lot like me. Last year was my first year also. boiled in a borrowed pan and two gas hot plates. Made 12gal. you would have thought i would have got burned out. But I didn't. Gave all but a gallon and a half away. I put 10qt in the frezzer and handed them out for xmas presents.
Had out 50+ taps and only about 25 buckets. I put milk jugs on the other ones. I tapped trees in my yard and along the streets in the town where i live. I am buying more buckets and getting an evaportor, and more trees.I have some very large surgar maples that produced very well last year . Had three very good runs that all but buried me. I am going to tap the 3rd week of this month.

Dave

[katmike]

Good to hear someone else uses milk jugs too. I tapped Feb. 3 and it hit 50 degrees on the 4th, and is 60 out now. The trees just don't seem to be giving it up however. I've got only about 20 gallons sap so far out of about 30 taps. Was hoping for a long weekend of boiling but it isn't going to happen. Maybe they will run all night tonight.

Mike

[Dave Y]

I got the milk jug idea form the backyard surging book. I was thinking today about what makes sap run. I know the freezing and thawing causes it to rise. But what triggers the tree to produce sap. I may maybe wrong but I think the lenghting of day light hours tirggers the tree to start producing sap. Therefore it takes both increased sun light and freezing and thawing to get the sap movin. I may be wrong but that is this woodsmans opionion

Dave

[katmike]

That could be true and if that's the case I may have got over anxious and tapped early. I just ordered 20 tree saver spouts and may try tapping some 8 to 10 inch maples in about 3 weeks. At least I'll have some fresh taps for later this season. My family has become too accustomed to getting maple syrup at Christmas so I can't let them down. I don't see another good run coming for at least 14 days as it's supposed to get cold. Oh well I guess it's better than staying warm. I'd have dry taps for sure.

Mike

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Dave,

That's a good question and I will give you my opinion even though it's not even worth 2 cents. :( I think the trees have the sap in them year around. They look some of the sap due to photosynthesis and production of leaves and sugar, but in my opinion, the sap goes up to the top of the trees in the summer and comes back down as the leaves fall and the temps drop. Of course not all the sap goes up to the top of the trees and I would think not 100% of it comes down. I think what causes the sap to start going back up the trees is the increase in temps signaling the trees that it is time to start making leaves and sugar again. This is why the trees will run all winter whenever you get a short warm spell, the tree starts the sap back up. As the trees lose sap due to wounds, natural use and evaporation, this is what causes them to suck up more water and produce more! :D

Might be wrong, but sounds good! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Dave Y]

Brandon,
I beleive that there is truth to both ideas. My son is a bioligy major i college. I will ask him when I talk to him next. I may have the answer. I know he has take some classes that this could have been disscused. If not I know one ove his profs would know.
Dave

[Kubbie]

Couldn't tap last week for personal reasons. The financee was itching all week. A friend of ours tapped 200 taps last week and already has 10 gallons of syrup. We're in the Catskills, NY. He put out 150 taps today but its windy and only about 25 at 7 pm. Nothing running with that weather. But its suppose to be warmer next week. We didn't tap until March 4th last year. We have a 2x6 this year instead of 2x4 so maybe we'll make more than the 40 some gallons of syrup we usually make. He's been tapping for 40 years and now has me hooked!!! :lol: :lol:

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited