tree diameter /sap quantity

[VA maple guy]

I tap mostly red maples and have noticed that most of my trees that are
between about 12" and 20" produce more sap than the rest of my trees.
I have some really big ones maby 40"+ that don't produce half as much sap as the smaller ones.
Most of my trees have reasonably full crowns, no real serious wind damage or injuries. One of my bigest trees has a sucker shoot thats about 12", that one shoot produced two or three times as much sap as the rest of the tree, any ideas or comments would be welcome.
Gerry

[sweetwoodmaple]

Not sure about reds in particular, buy quite a few of my sugars get hollow inside (probably a disease of some kind) when they are older. So, the trees are probably less healthy and produce less sap.

One of the things I look for in this regard is when the tap hole heals over. If the tree stays pretty much it' normal shape around the tap hole, things are fine. But, if the tree "swells" quite a bit where the hole heals, it is usually a sign that the tree is hollow or unhealthy.

Brian

[forester1]

Brian is right. Also a maple that large is no longer vigorously growing. Vigorous growing trees produce more sap. When a tree reaches maturity the growth rings are narrow. It takes more nutrients just to maintain it's life at that size. I mean the tree may be putting on just as much wood overall and producing sap, but it's spread out over more area and volume, especially relative to it's roots. Healing will be slower too when the growth slows. Certain big trees can produce a lot of sap like if they next to a stream. Genetics play a part as well.

[Dave Y]

I have noticed the same thing with reds. however the majority of my sugars if healthy produce enormous amounts of sap regard less of size. I have 4 mature sugars in my yard that will produce as much as 35 gal a day. with only9 taps. Imade 3/4 gal of syrup in Feb off those trees by them selves in a 36 hr run.

[forester1]

That is just one of the reasons why the Sugar Maple is special. :D

[VA maple guy]

Hay guys, thanks for your input. Jerry Your right about the sugar maple being special, I have only one sugar maple that I tap and it's big one, it definitely
produces alot more sap than my reds do. I wish I hade more of them, but there few and far between down here in northern virginia.

[sapaddict]

I didnt know you could even tap Red maples , thought it was only sugar maples. I have a nice grove of red maples, isnt the sugar content dramatically lower?

[VA maple guy]

Yes the sugar content is lower in reds. It will run about 1/2 to 1% lower than sugars on average. Sugars will also put out alot more sap for a longer period of time each year.
You can also tap just about any type maple tree, Silver, Norway, Box Elder, Black maple etc.. Only the ornamental trees can't be used.
Gerry

[mapleman3]

what are the big maples with the large dark red to almost black leaves? folks always call those red maples.. I know they aren't , are those just ornamental or are those the black maple? you don't see many around here except here and there in peoples front yards.

[forester1]

Those trees are grafted. I think they are a variety of Norway maple but I'm not sure of the species. Some nursery found a tree or branch that had no clorophyll or very little and grafted it to a rootstock of the same species. Now the tree stays red or purple all season. Just like red delicious apples are all the same tree on a different rootstock, those red leafed maples are all the same tree, only on different roots.

[VA maple guy]

Jerry is right, they are a variety of the Norway Maple. They are called Crimson King.
Gerry

[mapleman3]

and sap???

[VA maple guy]

If you can find some trees that are big enough i guess you shuld be able to tap them. There is another variety of Norway Maple called ( Royal Red) It has deep maroon foliage throughout the summer. It's similar to the Crimson King. You probably have one of these two varieties.
I tap about eight or ten Emerald Queen Norway Maples, they are the ones that turn bright yellow in the fall. I don'd know what the sugar % is in them,but i have bought a refractometer to check them as well as my other trees this comming season.
Gerry

[sweetwoodmaple]

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/ACEPLAE.pdf

From my experience, these seem to grow at a similar rate to the Sugar maple.

Haven't found anything on sap for these trees either.

Brian