Sap poll

[mapleman3]

Compared to other "normal" years how is your sap flow this year... this also will take in to consideration sugar content. express your answers on the poll , no need to post answers, you can if you like though to get it off your chest.

[ejmaple]

for me the sap flow was good when the weather coperated, which wasn't very often this year. as far as sugar content, i seemed to be on the high side in relation to others in ma. or area had a high sugar % this year starting around 3.5% and is still at 2.5% at last run. our area did get some of the highest damage in all of state from last years ice storm, i read that stressed trees will put out a higher sugar content than others. i think i read it in the current issue of farmming.

[gator330]

Mine had about the same sugar content amount of sap is not for shure but I made 1/4 the syrup. So it most be down 75%. Bottled 5 1/2 gal. of syrup for the season. :cry:

[dano2840]

Crap Load Of Nitre!

[ejmaple]

ya dano lots of nitre!

[Maplesedge]

Define normal.

Out of 7 trees, haven't got less than 3 1/2 gal/day, and not more than 12 gal/day. On average about a gal/day/tap.

That's down from about 1 1/2 gal/day/tap in 2008 (I didn't tap them after last years ice storm) but I figure between ice storm damage and weather conditions, a gal/day is still pretty good for a tap.

[3rdgen.maple]

Well let me say for the past 4 years I have been disapointed so I keep adding taps with higher expectations and the end result is I make hardly any more syrup than the year before. This year instead of adding a 100 I doubled up. Stuck out 800 on my little 2x6 and same results so far. Bottom line is it has run everyday fro 9 days straight and the best run so far was 1/2 gallon per tap. Right now I am getting realy fustrated with it. Just how does a syrup producer fill orders when mother nature is fighting us. Nights have just not been cold long enough. It seems when the temps dipped in the 20's it was there for such a short period of time it made little difference. Now we are getting close to a week of above freezing nights and then down to the teens. So lets hope it turns around quick or I am gonna take a big loss this year and have some pretty disappointed customers. Right now I am rethinking about any future upgrades which is not like me at all. Tough sinking thousands into an operation and getting little to no return. I am an optomist but reality is starting to get the best of me. So it is either go big or go home next year. 5000 taps or back to the good ole days of 200. Don't hold me to this though probably change my mind tomarrow.

[PerryW]

This is my 21st year sugaring with my current setup and this is the second best year so far and the most Fancy we have ever made. Only the year 2000 exceeded 2010.

I am at 69 gallons and expecting 120-130

[deacm]

I've had my 40 buckets hung for a week now. Warm days and cold nights until Wednesday this week....then just 50-60 degrees day and night. Not good. I've gathered three times, about a gallon per bucket on average each time.......and that was two day's worth of run. Finished off this morning for a total of three gallons of syrup. At least I have my Christmas presents covered now !!

[Maple Restoration]

460 taps on gravity feed and got 30 gal. one more week and the temps should be back to normal up here.

[Mackdaddy]

My sap ran pretty much the same as years past. The one big change I have seen this year is sugar content. It has sky rocketed for me, I am running 34/1 when in years past I have been closer to 50/1. All I tap are sugar maple, same trees from year to year. Of course, I have only had 8 good days of runs. Season came in a month late and now a warm spell, so I am curious to see that if a cold spell comes back in if the sugar will drop. I know that usually sugar is high right after a real good cold spell. Anyone else had similar situations?

[farmall h]

Above normal as far as am starting ...breaks loose at 9:30-10:30 in the am. In the years past the sap wouldnt be running until noon. Have 600 more taps than last year...will need more storage for next season. Didn't boil in the years past until mid march...boiled 3/3/2010. Made fancy for a change...now it is at medium amber.

[Amber Gold]

Sugar content's low again this year. Started at 1.6%, dropped to 1.5% for a couple of weeks, and now it's at 1.3%. Last year the sugar was at 1.2% by the second week.

Total sap I've collected this season is probably more that the same time last year, but I don't see the season lasting 5+ weeks like it did last year. I'm hoping for 4 weeks.