2011 season predictions

[valleyman]

At this point, I've had enough Summer. The only thing to keep me cool now are the thoughts of sugaring season dancing in my head.

A question I have for all you veterans of sugaring is about the predictions for the upcoming season. Its been a below average rainfall for my area thus far and plenty of above average temps. What will this due to the quantity/quality of the sap?

Thanks

[maple flats]

You might be below average but we had a record high June for rain. Hopefully this will make lots of syrup for 2011. If you want an educated or speaking from experience answer I can't help. I think most of that answer comes during the season, as weather helps or hinders sap flow. We do have a good canopy this year, even though I saw some FTC I never lost good leaf mass. We can just do everything in our power to maximize yield with whatever we get for weather conditions but then we must just wait and see.

[ennismaple]

I've learned enough over the years to realize I know nothing!

From past experience I don't worry about the weather at this time of year anymore. The weather from mid February to mid April has exponentially more impact on your yield than the preceding summer and fall's weather. There's no sense thinking about what we cannot control!

[paul]

I`ll let you know the end of April 2011

[Thad Blaisdell]

I shook the magic 8 ball....... Ask again later...

[DrTimPerkins]

What will this due to the quantity/quality of the sap?

We get lots of calls about what the season will be like in the spring from about Oct-Feb. Our best scientific answer is.....ask again in May.

[stoweski]

I predict that I will be hanging 100 buckets and using a new to me 2x6 leader evaporator to boil the sap. I also predict that I will be finishing the syrup on a 12x20 finishing rig from W.F. Mason instead of using a turkey fryer. :D

Now I predict that I should order said 12x20 finishing rig from Bill before it's too late.

One more? I predict that I will have more sap than 2010... because in my mind 225 gallons of sap from 80 taps just plain s____!

[maplecrest]

i will start tapping 2/1/11

[Randy Brutkoski]

I will be tapping Feb. 1st as well. I dont have as many taps as Jeff, but 6200 will still take a while since i am going to be the only 1 tapping. I hired someone to help tap my big bush and after it was all done it looked like he tapped with his eyes shut. And suposedly he has tapped thousands of trees in the past. I will not make that mistake again.

[ADKMAPLE]

My prediction is..............I wont be any further along than I am right now!:cool:

[Haynes Forest Products]

My prediction is if I burn another set of pans Im going into the scrap business. and as usual I will be trying to reinvent the wheel

[valleyman]

Nice to be back and hear all your sarcastic and funny replies!:lol:

I'll file away all your predictions and we'll talk again about this next May.

Gotta keep it light. Life is too short. Hope the government doesnt force some new law down our throats in the mean time!:mad:

[TF Maple]

I agree with the predictions that say we can't predict what it will be like next spring.:lol:
Here in my part of Wisconsin during June and July we have gotten half of our yearly rainfall. I think it was 10 inches above normal for the 2 months. The trees should be doing great if the cloudy weather doesn't hold them back.

[brookledge]

Well for me it has to get better. So I'll say it is going to be better than this year. But I'll have to confirm that next may.
Also just was notified that the USDA has declaired a lot of southern New England a disaster for this year.
Keith

[3rdgen.maple]

Well all I can say is that I hope the late spring and summer has very little to do with the outcome of the maple season cause if it does so far Im looking at the same pattern as last year. Lots of rain in the end of may and nothing but rain in june and july is pretty dang soggy as well. If it does it will be another bad year. The weird thing that is going on is I have noticed that the black walnuts are falling already, acorns also. The black rasberries were 2 weeks early and now Im already picking blackcaps a couple weeks early. It was the same deal last year. My expectations are low at this point and gearing up for another bad season. Last year tought me a lesson about not having big expectations and getting very discouraged so Im going in with a poor attitude and if its better than the last season I will be happy, maybe lol.

[PATheron]

Keith- Why has southern New England been declared a disaster area? Theron

[220 maple]

My Prediction of next season is like everyone elses in are area. I'll let you know at the end of March. Some of the oldtimers say if the summer is dry, almost to the point of drought and lots of sunshine the trees will be sweet next spring. Some of these old syrupmakers was making syrup before some of the trees that I tap ever sprouted from the ground. In the short 12 years I have been making syrup I concur with their observation that lots of sunshine makes trees sweet. One example is the summer of 2002. Very dry and sunny. the drought broke for good near the end of October. Next spring we had ample moisture. Sugar content avg for that season 3.3 . You can make alot of syrup with 3.3 sugarwater.

Mark 220 Maple

[red maples]

Gonna have the bumper crop here!!!! pray to the maple gods every night and say 3 hail maples before bed :lol: but then I have converted into the true new englander sox fan and say there's always next year!!!!:rolleyes:

[farmall h]

There will be so much surplus sap go'in round, producers will be giving it away!:lol:

[thenewguy]

the old boys around here say if its a good "wheat year" it will be a good syrup year. around here farmers are starting to combine wheat and it appears to be a good crop... and its 2 weeks early.

[red maples]

that makes sense because spring came early. I don't know we'll have to see but my garden is the best ever!!! last year was a very rainy may june july and the trees grew like crazy...low sugar but bad year season all around. dry summer so far UH who knows!!!

[morningstarfarm]

I predict that no matter what comes for the 2011 season..most of us will be complaining....either there's no sap or we're getting tired of boiling the bonanza and want a ro....whichever it may be bring it on

[red maples]

I haven't gotten tired of boiling yet!!!!:evil:

weather problems........ yeah that one hurt last season!!!!!:cry:

[3rdgen.maple]

I agree who would get tired of boiling. lol

[valleyman]

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/newsReleases?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=edn&newstype=ednewsrel&type=detail&item=ed_20100720_rel_0055.html

Heres a link to the declared disaster because of abnormal high temps during this years sap flow in Ct

[ennismaple]

I agree who would get tired of boiling. lol

My answer is different this time of year than at 3:00 a.m. in early April!

[red maples]

friends up in sanborton, nh ( heritage farm - pancake house) bad year too gravity tubing and buckets and a few thousand taps 200 gallons syrup!!! yikes!!!

[brookledge]

Theron
did you see the link that Valleyman posted?
Keith

[wglenmapler]

How can it have been a disaster in Dutchess county and not the rest of NY, PA amd wherever the rest of you hard working fellow sugarmaker are from?

I know we had terrible weather and snow chest deep, but with ALOT OF WORK and answered prayer, we did ok. Guess if I hadn't heard some of the background I wouldn't care.

I'll have to write to Albany on this one.

[Paddymountain]

wglenmapler, where are you located? I have a cabin on the hill above Burdett
and would'nt mind seeing your setup when I'm up there

[red maples]

I think there were alot of places hit hard by the poor sugaring weather this season!!!! I have a friend of a friend that has over 1000 buckets and only managed about 40 gallons of syrup, because he had to keep dumping bucket full of rain water!!!!

[TF Maple]

I think there were alot of places hit hard by the poor sugaring weather this season!!!! I have a friend of a friend that has over 1000 buckets and only managed about 40 gallons of syrup, because he had to keep dumping bucket full of rain water!!!!

Wouldn't this be poor equipment and not poor weather? I'm just saying if the valve freezes on a 1000 gallon tank and you lose all the sap, was it poor weather that caused the syrup reduction or equipment failure?:cry:
I have a friend who also had a poor season and doesn't have covers on his buckets. We had a dry sap season so it wasn't rain that messed him up. It was tapping too late and missing the 2 big runs we had in March.

[red maples]

No way here in NH for 1 sap didn't run because of bad weather from warm nights. yes he did tap a little late. because he was going by date and not the weather forecast that one was his fault, and we got tons of rain here. very very wet season...I got pics on here some where to prove that one!!!! nothing to do with equipment!!! and that was 1000 taps on buckets not 1000 gallon tank.

[Randy Brutkoski]

I have been doing the sugaring thing for15 years and it was by far the worst season I have ever experienced. 2010 was my first year on vacumm, looked like the right year for the switch. Gravity guys around me had a terrible year. Wasnt even worth tapping for them. 2011 can only be better. It really isnt possible to be any worse than what 2010 gave us. I want my new evaporator making steam every day. I see a big season coming. Just dont know what year it will be.

[Jeff E]

In Wisconsin we have had a wet, warm spring and summer.
This years tap holes are healing very fast, indicating good tree health. This is a good sign for sugar in the tree I would think.
No significant storm damage for me, lost a few tap trees.
So it is setting up to be good. But the real deal comes in March. this time of year probably impacts next seasons sap by 10%, compared to the weather of the day.

My prediction; I will be scrambling to deal with sap on the first few days, because I didnt get the sugar house ship-shape in time, because I will be fixing vacuum leaks that I missed, because I will try and get more trees on line in February, because in January I will think adding another 200 taps when it is zero degrees is a good idea, because I've got the bug...