Trying to figure out what to expect this season with how the weather has been. Considerably warmer temps around Evansville area. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?
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Trying to figure out what to expect this season with how the weather has been. Considerably warmer temps around Evansville area. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?
Weather during season will be the main effect. Weather now has little correlation to spring sap flow
Yeah I'm curious as to when people are planning on tapping, the weather up here in nortwest Indiana seem like they are ideal right about now, but I'm nervous to tap this early
i have 30 taps in the Mitchell,IN area. Put them in 3 days ago and it’s not running well at all. The lines are 3/16 tube with a diaphragm pump. I think I’m going to not run the pump and let the lines gravity flow till it improves.
Yeah, I'm hoping for a little consistancy with weather during time sap starts flowing. Your right, Mr. Thompson, I'm just getting antsy. Last year didn't tap until the 19th and had one of our best seasons. Like you, Mitchell tapper, we have it all on 3/16". All gravity though.
So, my big question. How long will the trees accept the perfect temps without starting to run and bud? I would think they would start budding before long
That's my dilemma too. I tap all silver maples and they always bud early making my season typically only 2 weeks long. I guess we'll see what happens
I have 150 taps on 5 3/16" runs near Bloomington. I went down to just check things out last weekend, but now thinking I should maybe tap soon. So much work to do...critters chewed through lines everywhere and each run is about 700' long on a 300' steep hill, so just walking the lines is a workout. I found one tap that didn't get pulled at the end of last year and it appeared to be collecting some sap in the line. Scary...we are normally in a deep freeze now. The next 10 days look like perfect weather for sap, but I have to think we will have a couple of weeks of colder weather coming after that. With splicing lines and putting in new drops and taps I won't be ready till then anyway. Leads to this question...any harm in putting in the new drops and taps in the fall? I'd be a lot more prepared if that's ok.
This is only our third season, so take my input with that in mind. I put up my first tubing in the fall of 16, 125 taps on 3/16 and expanded last year- 240 and this year- 450+. We started out tubing work in October/November every year. In the last month I've added another 75 drops in my woods here at the house, and ran another mile+ 3/16, 175 taps, in my Dad's woods a mile up the road. Last year between Oct & Jan the squirrels did hit a few places, chewed laterals, drops and even the tee's on brand new material. In every instance it was where tubing touched a tree This year I haven't found any damage to the new lines, and only a few on the old laterals- I've already been in and replaced spiles on the old drops. I'm using 5/16 drops on 3/16 laterals, and CDL 3/16-5/16-3/16 tees, they have a nice cup that I put the spile in to keep them from dangling and having coyotes chew on them. I haven't had a problem with my spiles being in early- using clear CV and regular from both Leader and CDL. We've had several 2 Gal per tap days, and last year even though we shut down in Feb, had a tree I missed pulling the tap that was still running March 26 was tapped Jan 15th. We are going to be tapping within the next 5 days, I have a few things to finish up in the new woods, and building cribbing for two of the three woods tanks. Good Luck to all my Indiana brothers and sisters from southernmost OH! BenQuote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Franklin
Good luck to you, and thanks for the input!