tapping in the catskills.

[Windy Acres]

That's great news! It won't be long and it will be on, I wish I could say I was ready, but we are getting there!

[mountainvan]

Started tapping yesterday in my steepest sugarbush. I figure the rain on Friday will turn the mountain into a luge run and make it too dangerous to go up for awhile. Maples tapped on the sunnyside were flowing by 2pm. Pretty much ready to make maple except for another 4,000 Holes to drill!

[gbeneke]

Waited this last warm spell out but tapping this week for next warm up next weekend. if any water got through the frost it should help production, it has been dry this fall. Good luck to all this season.

[mountainvan]

Had my chemo port out Friday, no hospital now till June! Back to tapping later this week and hopefully boiling Next Sunday. Steep bush is almost done, then the rest should go quickly.

[Kelly Wells]

My plan was to tap earlier than I have been the last couple of years by watching when you all start. It's still SO cold up here on the mountain top in Haines Falls. Close to zero much of the time. It did hit 60 Friday and it looks like it will be warmer later this week (40 - 45) but really cold in between. How long do the taps stay viable between warm episodes? Don't want them to heal over. We have 100 buckets with 2 taps each downhill from the sap house and have recently run two main lines with laterals and 100 or so drops from up behind the sap house directly to the tank.

https://www.facebook.com/Haines-Farm...5742&pnref=lhc

[mountainvan]

All of my taps are either antimicrobial, new spouts and drops, or clear check valve. As long as there is not a stretch of 70 degree weather they will flow well into April. The tree won't start to heal over until the after the season. The main reason the sap stops flowing is microbes clogging the wood. You can use the antimicrobial spouts with buckets. Just put the hanger on the spout and a short piece of tubing to go into the bucket. Sap was flowing Thursday with a sugar % of 1.4.

[Kelly Wells]

Ha! No chance of a 70 degree stretch! Thanks. From your experience how far into the season does the sugar content start to approach the 2% mark?

[mountainvan]

My experience says you never know. Every year is different. I'm expecting a lower sugar % this year due to the large sead crop on the maples last year, but I could be wrong. Ask me in May, then I'll know.

[Kelly Wells]

My experience says you never know. Every year is different. I'm expecting a lower sugar % this year due to the large seed crop on the maples last year, but I could be wrong. Ask me in May, then I'll know.

lol. Like the acorns...Hind sight is 20/20! We will see.

[mountainvan]

Back to tapping after last Friday's surgery. My dewalt 20 volt drill was easier on my body than the bosch 36 volt tap monster. Crampons were a must on the mountain. Temperature started at 5 and went up to a blazing 20. Hopefully I'll be all tapped by next weekend.