Have read the NA Maple Producers manual, have asked the questions on this board and I think that I have come to the conclusion that I will just leave my virgin sugarbush primarily alone.

I went behind the house to look around again, easier to see with the leaves off. walking through the 3' of snow looking up i would say that 90% of all of my maple trees crowns are touching other trees, both maple and other. The entire bush is on a side hill, not to steep to climb but steep enough. I ahve a mix of some very large pine and hemlock in there. I jsut got to thinking that it would be a huge undertaking to thin the trees out, plus, when droppign the trees it is inevitable that they will land on others that I want to keep and get hung up alot.

I will be cuttign out some of the smaller non maple trees and others just to lessen the competition of the roots and nutrients.

Thoughts?