round 2

[firetech]

Weather looks good for the next 7 days. I pulled all the buckets off budded trees and tomorrow am they go on non budding trees. Here's our chance to make a season.

[maple flats]

Keep plugging away, that is all you can do.

[michigansugarman]

Had a great first 10 days of March here in the Grand Rapids area - made 10 gallons of light. Next 10 days were terrible - made 2 gallons of dark - but the sugar maples held and haven't budded out yet. Hoping for another week of decent sap runs to finish off the season.

[Sue @ Battel's Sugar Bush]

Firetech, how do you tell the trees are budded? I hope that doesn't sound like a dumb question, but how do you tell from the ground?

[KenWP]

Really easy to tell even for me. Look at the tree tops and if they are showing swelled up tips they are budding. Also from a distance they will look red. Unbudded trees have nice slim ends on the tips so the buds are easy to see when the start.

[maple flats]

The easiest to check is to look closely at low branches in warmer areas. If you have any protected southern exposures check those. Tight buds will be grey and turn to a little silver just before they turn green and onen. As soon as you see the silver watch very closley, green might only be a few hours or maybe a few days behind. Those protected southern exposures will break first.

[maple flats]

I forgot to tell you, I use a good pair of binoculars even thou I am only looking at branches from maybe 6 to 15' above my head. I using bino's be sure you have a pair that will focus that close, many won't.

[firetech]

That's right Sue step back aways and if you see reddish tint they're about to go. All of the reds on my route are budding. I set 60 taps this am on sugers that I ran out of equipment to get to earlier this season. Checked on them this afternoon and the buckets were 1/2 full and crystal clear sap. So the delima is to wether pull the buckets set the begining of the month,or ream the holes and continue on in place. I checked some of the 1st buckets the sap is cloudy but that might be do to age of the sap in the bucket. And some of the holes are dry. Not nearly the volume of sap of the buckets set this am. I'm leaning to relocating the buckets to the new run of trees to finsh the season out on. Any thoughts please post them back.

[firetech]

Pulled another 60 taps today to relocate. the 60 taps set yesterday gave over a 100 gals today. 275 gals on 250 taps. Just keep holding on the weekend is looking great for sap flow.

[lefty]

it started this weekend and still going strong.the first good run of the year.

[firetech]

Well the move to new trees paid off 300 gals of clear sap picked up today. Looks like 2 more days to come and we are done for the year.

[firetech]

I hear the cows come'n home. We picked up a 150 gals yesterday and tomorrow will be the last hope for any sap. 60s-70s-80s this week. At least it will be warm out to wash up in.