Just curious if anyone around Broome County is planning on tapping soon?
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Just curious if anyone around Broome County is planning on tapping soon?
Rob,
I have found over the last ten years ,, I get most of my sap during the month of March. So I'm usually in no hurry to tap. May miss a run or two of light syrup. But healing up has never been a problem.. I'm up by the airport, mostly on the north side, so my woods are cold.. Have a good season..BJS
Thanks for the reply,Saltlick. I'm on Pollard Hill, most of my trees are on the north side of the slope too. This is only my second year and it seems I'm always asking questions, maybe I can pick your brain sometime. Do you find that 150 taps is a good match for your 2x4? I have a 2x5 flat continuos flow, this year I have 117 on tubing and about 40 on buckets and to tell the truth I'm a little scared that I may be biting off more than I can chew.....
Rob,, 397 E. Maine Rd. give me a shout some day 729-3071, Been busy plowing trails and running some hose.. I love the outdoors but I wish it would warm up a little. But not too warm yet...Where abouts on Polard???.Bruce
I'm at 559 Pollard. I will probably take you up on that offer. Thank you
Rob, You asked about the 2x4? At times I think its marginal. But its what I have, and I'm getting a little old to learn a new system. I've learned how to change a few things over the years to get the most out of it.. I'm able to boil between 16 to 18 gallons per hour most of the time. I very seldom finish the syrup in the evaporator. I have propane setup for a controlled finish. So unless I get big runs day after day, I'm able to keep up, pretty much. Hope this answers your question..I'm no expert, but I'm more than willing to show you what I have, anytime..Bruce
My wife and I would definitely like to stop by at some point. I appreciate the offer. When we get a moment one of these days I will try giving you a call.
We are going to start tapping on Sunday. Lines should be all fixed back up and hopefully we will get some runs with warmer weather in site next week. We also are not too far from you in the Town of Maine off of 38b. Company is always welcome and we will probably put you to work so be forewarned =)
Thanks so much for the invite. I can't even imagine running a 4x12, would love to see that in action.
Hounder,, I would like to see your set up also,, but as far as work goes,,sorry,, its been a cold winter, my wood pile is low, and ma ma is getting cold. So back to work, with a chain saw.. Keep in touch. Bruce
Anytime, and we got wise to the wood in the sugarshack and had it all put up last year right away. I was just saying that when someone visits we are not above having them check the stack temp or running a batch through the press.. I don't think boiling on a smaller or bigger evaporator makes much of a difference except you put more wood in =) How many Christmas trees you have Saltlick?
so Hounder, where abouts are you located on 38b? For starting in only 2011 you sure ramped up operations pretty quickly
We are on Sherder - the Christmas Tree Farm you may know where that is. We have potential for a lot more taps but we added no more this year. Not adding until we put in a line to pump sap to the sugarshack. We put the cart kind of before the horse and bought a big evaporator so had to have taps so we would have enough sap to even light it.
Still quite impressive!!
Hounder,,, That must be you Gene...How is your dad doing? Not a lot of trees, I keep it as a hobby just like the syrup. Limit my sales to 100.. If I get too many I wholesale. That way I only sell weekends and hunt during the week. I raise Concolor and Douglas,, deer won't touch them. Besides trees and dogs, your now into the syrup. Do it while you can.. I just live up the road from Bill Homes. I hope to get the chance to come up and see your operation. Are you thinking of doing one of those "open house events"? Bruce Sattler
My dad is doing good. 94 and he still is helping with everything or getting in the way. Don't think we will do an open house, we tell our tree customers if anyone wants to stop anytime they can. Will you have any concolors to wholesale? Any time you do let me know. Gonna have about 800 tapped for the warm up. Not sure if it will run with all that snow on the ground...
Well I tapped in 117 I have on tubing today. Will probably do 40 on buckets tomorrow. But seriously what is with this snow? At one point my wife and I looked back at our 6 year old helper (Killian) and he was stuck in the snow up to his armpits.
Having any luck during this warm up? I may be foolish to wait a while yet, but still not looking much like spring, on the north side of my hill. That knee deep snow is tough on the legs. Hounder, what do you use for a preemergent ? I have been using Simazine and Surflan. But Surflan is quite expensive. Any tips would be appreciated. Bruce
Checked tonight, there is a little ice in the bottom of the buckets and tanks I was kinda expecting more... Hopefully tomorrow or the next day they will let loose
We got 800 taps in and what ran today we let flush out the lines - see what tomorrow brings. Simazine doesn't stay in the soil long alone. Bicep two lite is what I use, which is simazine with a touch of atrozine to last longer. If your trees aren't real young you can use west star. that stuff works unbelievable but you can over do it. wait you are the competition. Use west star on everything about 8 ounces per acre.
Gonna sweeten the pans today. Collected about 400 gallons yesterday and should get some today. Snow is bearable to walk in now and around the trunks of the trees have melted.
I'm surprised it ran with how cold it's been yes it's been warm and a little sunny the last few days but there still has to be frost in the ground whatever sap ran was stuff in the tree that thawed a little. were holding out especially with the weather that's coming this week you don't want to tap to early especially since it's looking like this season could go to April possibly.
Hounder,, thanks for the tips, I'll check them out. You make me laugh,, I'm no competition, I've sent people your way. I don't allow cut your own, that's the only way I can manage what I have. If I let people cut their own, I would have none the following year. Anyway, Homedepot and Lowes are your real competition. Glad to hear your getting some sap. The guy up the road from me, got some, but not much, and the flavor of what he got, had a lot to be desired. Dirty tubing he thinks. I'm waiting till winter's over. Glad your dad is doing great. BJS
Maplehilsbros we aren't getting a ton but is was thawed enough to get the truck and tractor both stuck. Made a few gallons but pans are sweet and next time it runs we know that everything is ready including sweetened pans. We only tapped half of ours in and will get the other half done this week or so. The cold will keep the taps fresh - no bacteria will grow in this predicted cold snap?
Thanks for the referral saltlick. I close my cut field once I reach a specific number and then they can buy from the stand or cut Norways. If we didn't we would be out of trees also.
Hounder,, you sell norways for Christmas trees? Any complaints? My son and I have been selling Norways for Landscape, 12 foot and higher. Yes the contractor has to fill the holes, but its still a mess. I had a Norway in my house one year.. My wife said never again. Spiders and needles. Of coarse the wood stove didn't help. Nice to have pans sweetened.. Keep tappin... BJS
Hounder, I'm not sure if bacteria silly grow but the older the tap hole gets it will dry up since the tree begins to heal as soon as you drill a hole. Were tapping some Saturday since it will be the first of the month and the sap will run eventually let's hope for a warm up boys !
Last weekend it showed on the weather the potential for good sap days on Wednesday through Saturday. Just looked today and it is not looking promising now...WTH...tired of weatherman. We plan around them and they change day to day.
Should be finished tapping tomorrow. Takes me a long time, this 14v drill with a couple of batteries, NOT enough power. Time to up grade next year. I used to do them all by hand, now I just wait for the batteries to charge. Weather looks promising the next few days. Time for Spring
I'm planning on getting my taps in after work the next few nights. Looks like it should run a little Friday and Saturday.
I'm thinking that I should have listened to you Saltlick,and waited till March to tap. We got that one run and I finished just under 2 gallons but everything is frozen solid now. Hoping the tap holes last longer than just six weeks. Time will tell I guess. Hopefully spring shows up now.
Spring is here, a Hugh flock of robins showed up today. Hopefully to sap will start to flow.
Gathered for the first time yesterday.. Tubing was running good Monday, real slow in buckets. Got enough to sweeten up evaporator in good shape. But not enough to can any. Better days should come after this next cold spell.
finally nice to see the sap run decent on Saturday. Ground still frozen so hopefully it is just the beginning. Nice to be hurrying worrying tanks would be overflowing;)
Hi Guys, just curious if anyone has any ideas when we have to start worrying about buds here in Broome County?
my sugars still look good but everything else is swelling/popping.......up coming forcast dosnt look good
Rob,Quote:
Originally Posted by relseek
I'm right around the corner from you on east Maine as well. I saw the steam pouring out of your shack this past weekend. I'll be sure to stop and introduce myself next time I notice you boiling. Best of luck to you!
John, youre more than welcome. The steam...yes that is one thing I keep fighting with with my little set up (2x5 flat pan with no hood)makes things interesting to say the least.
Rob,Quote:
Originally Posted by relseek
Perhaps putting a cupola on that gable shed would help a lot. We'll discuss that when I stop over! I noticed the steam bellowing out the upper access window, but I didn't see a cupola.
Your right, no cupola, that would help. The shed is one of those "make due with what I have right now" sort of things, I would really like to get a 2x6 with steam hood, but that will have to wait.
Nice frost last night. Cleaned sugar house, split a little wood up. Checked buckets tonight, trying for figure out the best time to gather. But Empty Buckets. Running about 50% so far this year. Not looking the best. Getting late..