2024 Season

Greetings all!

What a weird winter, if you can even call it that. Lakes took forever to freeze over, really warm December with only one real true week of winter's breath on us. Frost went deep in SD this year, I have heard reports of 5'. I'm sure that plays into sap flow somehow but so does a lot of variables. The biggest one for me are these temps. Man 'O man is it driving me crazy, I don't think I have looked at the 10, 15, 30 day forecasts in the past as I have done now. I am glad I have been keeping a tapping journal though to help aid some decisions, but of course that only helps with the micro swing compared to the 100 year cycles.

I picked up another farm site to tap this year! Getting up to 75 taps or so. I got a "time bonus" as my oldest son is driving now (only chauffeuring one now!) But conversely I lost a sap hauler:cry: I'm sure he'll help from time to time.

Last weekend I talked myself out of tapping earlier than Feb 14th. Partly I wasn't physically ready for syrup season, and I wasn't really mentally ready either. I think I read somewhere on here that tapping early is like drinking whiskey in the morning...it either feels right or it hurts really bad. Since I really don't drink much at all, I decided to look at that tapping journal a little more in detail. Within the last 15 years tapping early was 50% successful, where the sap actually ran. Awesome thanks tapping journal, why don't you take a back seat and let this coin make the decisions this year!

I hope everyone has a great season & sorry for the long post! I gotta go get some buckets ready for today!

SDdave

Good luck Dave! (And everyone else)

Put in 75 taps today by Marshall. All were dripping good. Can't believe I'm doing this so early but I'm "all in". Hoping for a late February cold snap to extend things and make this a loooooong season !

I just noticed some bud swelling on some box elders (acer negundo) on my property. Also last Friday (2-9-24) I saw bud swelling on some black walnuts about 40 miles south of me. I hope this does not mean an early end to the season. Has anyone else seen bud swelling? No cloudy sap yet from my maples or black walnuts but will surely be on the lookout.

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Originally Posted by Bombadil

I am in Princeton, I am going to put in taps this afternoon and see how it looks. Looking at the forecast, we are looking at 2 weeks of warm tapping weather.

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Tapped two weeks ago just north of Princeton. 18 gallons sap first week, 60 the second. 20 or so taps on flood plain silvers. Low sugar even with a lot of freezing water cast off. With no snow the ground is frozen hard. Very little development. I'm hanging it up until March and I'll go after my sugar maples that are always grumpy and late.

About 10% were slowly dripping. It’s super early but with the predicted warm weather we are hoping for some good gathers over the next week.

I put mine in as well today....Should get some kind of run this week. I would say half were dripping decently when I was tapping and only 36 degrees. Fingers crossed for sap and time to boil it:)

My buddy in Apple Valley plans to tap this week. Glad to hear he's not the only one who's waited. I'm not local (I live in the Massachusetts), but it sounds like his timing is decent, yeah?

Gabe O

Pulled the plug yesterday north on Marcell. 80 taps on 3/16 with shurflo and collected 30 galllons of 3% sap. Trees taking a break today with 13 temp. It was great to put taps without the need of snowshoes. No snow! Our normal tap date is March 15. Forcast looks promising.

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Originally Posted by sweet acer

Our normal tap date is March 15. Forcast looks promising.

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If the long range forecasts are to believed, we are in the the prime weather this week and its not going to be a long season. Get while the getting is good.

Our buckets have been up for one week in east central Minnesota. We have gathered 4.5 gallons per bucket total so far as of February 25.