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Thread: Drought effects on upcoming sugaring season

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Morton Ontario
    Posts
    108

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    The drought is far from over here, got 10-20 10" maples that are brown and dropping leaves. Large sections of under brush has died off on the high areas of the property. Dug down to put in footing for an addition 10 feet down and totally dry. The large maples still looking good even though it has rained 4"+over the past few weeks the ground seems so dry still under the big trees. Maybe we could get a heavy winters snow to restore the parched landscape. Dryest recorded year for the area going back to the 1880's.
    It's so easy to drill a hole into a tree, what happens next counts .

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Ashtabula County, Ohio
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    1,792

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    Some of my mature maples are looking pretty stressed this summer. Lots of branch dieback.
    1000 taps on vac down to 100+ buckets 99% sugars
    2x5 SL Hi-Output Raised Flue Corsair evaporator
    SL Short bank press with CDL diaphragm pump
    Leader Micro 1 RO for 2024
    Constantly changing
    2010:36 gal 2011:126 gal 2012:81 gal 2013:248 gal 2014: 329.5 gal 2015:305 gal 2016:316 gal 2017:258 gal 2018:147 gal 2019:91 gal 2020:30 gal 2021:30 gal 2023:50 gal Total since 2010: 2047.5 gal
    Tapping the same trees my great, great and great grandfathers tapped.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Potsdam in far northern New York
    Posts
    775

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    Now that the numbers are in, lets revive this thread. Here in Potsdam, the 2016 drought was pretty severe. I suspected that the trees might be stressed, so I tapped lightly...one less bucket on every tree than last year. I got access to more trees, then I bought more buckets and taps and tapped even more trees. Here's what the season-end numbers look like: Last year, 357 taps gave 4013 gallons of sap, and yielded 122.5 gallons of syrup. This year, 440 taps gave 4261 gallons of sap, and yielded 125 gallons of syrup. I think that's 23% more taps for the same yield, or, going the other way, 16% less sap per tap.
    I've read that it can take two good seasons of rain to get the trees back to where they were. It will be interesting to see what next year looks like. Anyone else have any data to share?

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Lanark, ON
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    2,387

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    I don't have any data as we're still boiling but I do have some observations. Our drought last summer was the worst anyone can remember. Our lake is dam controlled and it was down close to 2 feet from the top of the logs by late October. It has since returned to normal winter/spring levels.

    For this year's maple season - our gallons of sap per tap is definitely down (final numbers TBD) but our sugar content is way up. Our average for the past 8 seasons is barely over 2.0% sugar. We're probably close to 2.5% this season - which will come down as we get to the final days but definitely much higher. My theory is the drought (and more sunshine hours) caused the trees to store more starch in reserve.
    4,600 Taps on vacuum
    9,400 gallons storage
    3 tower CDL RO
    3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
    Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
    www.ennismaple.com

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    smithville flats ny near binghamton
    Posts
    600

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    Ennis, I am blaming the drought for the exact opposite. Our average sugar content is way down. Haven't figured exact numbers yet, but I'm sure that we will be .3 to.5 lower than normal. I wonder who is right. Doesn't really matter, but would be nice to know.
    shrunken producer, from 8,000 taps to 4,000 to 5800 to 9500 to 11,000 vac
    5x16 woodchip fired evaporator with 5x10 max flue and 5x6 revolution front pan
    CDL 20+ RO
    Double 10"filterpress

    sp-11, bb2, airtech L63, L160, L230 vac pumps
    CDL low profile electric releaser
    MES 8000 electric releaser
    CDL 4000 tap mechanical releaser

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Halifax, VT.
    Posts
    773

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    I've been hearing a lot about low sugar this year. My sugar was up a few points more than average. We are in a deep valley with steep hills. In some places there is only room for the river and the road. Other areas are barely wide enough for dairy farming. We get good sun but it doesn't last as long as it does in other locations before it goes behind the hill. My sugar is typically around 2% at best. I'm thinking the extra sun boosted things for me where others suffered. I don't know what else it could have been.
    Sean

    2013-1st year...94 taps, 12x24 sugarhouse, home built evap. Gast 2065 pump with bender
    releaser.
    2014-30x36 sugarhouse, 2.5x10 "Jutras" evaporator, 1200+ taps on vacuum, sap brothers RO. 2 sihi 2 stage pumps, 440 gal.

    2015- 1000gph memtek RO, 3250 Taps, 1200 gallons

    2016- Modified grimm 4'x12' evaporator with auf and aof with air preheater. Home built airtight arch front. 4250 taps?

    2017- 2400gph. Lapierre RO, 10" filter press, 5000 taps

  7. #17
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Rochester, NY USA
    Posts
    639

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    This talks about low sugar and its relationship to drought http://stlawrence.cce.cornell.edu/ho...thirsty-maples
    Smoky Lake 2x6 fuel-oil fired, raised flue, hoods, SSR, concentric exhaust
    Home-built auto draw off
    Home-built RO - double XLE 4040, PLC controlled
    8x10 Sugar Shed
    200 taps on tubing with Shurflo vacuum with solar
    https://www.facebook.com/flowercitymaplesyrup/

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Halifax, VT.
    Posts
    773

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    Quote Originally Posted by Urban Sugarmaker View Post
    This talks about low sugar and its relationship to drought http://stlawrence.cce.cornell.edu/ho...thirsty-maples
    Great article. Thanks for posting.
    Sean

    2013-1st year...94 taps, 12x24 sugarhouse, home built evap. Gast 2065 pump with bender
    releaser.
    2014-30x36 sugarhouse, 2.5x10 "Jutras" evaporator, 1200+ taps on vacuum, sap brothers RO. 2 sihi 2 stage pumps, 440 gal.

    2015- 1000gph memtek RO, 3250 Taps, 1200 gallons

    2016- Modified grimm 4'x12' evaporator with auf and aof with air preheater. Home built airtight arch front. 4250 taps?

    2017- 2400gph. Lapierre RO, 10" filter press, 5000 taps

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Lanark, ON
    Posts
    2,387

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    Quote Originally Posted by lew View Post
    Ennis, I am blaming the drought for the exact opposite. Our average sugar content is way down. Haven't figured exact numbers yet, but I'm sure that we will be .3 to.5 lower than normal. I wonder who is right. Doesn't really matter, but would be nice to know.
    I could be wrong - it's happened before and it will happen again! We've never had sugar content as high as its been this year and I've been trying to find a reason.
    4,600 Taps on vacuum
    9,400 gallons storage
    3 tower CDL RO
    3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
    Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
    www.ennismaple.com

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Bristol, VT
    Posts
    1,978

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    There are so many site specific factors that will affect a tree's access to water in a drought year. Soils types, and groundwater access are so variable. And, while it was a dry year, some areas scored precip. from thunderstorms and other localized systems that likely impacted the variation we are seeing regionally for sap sugar content.

    It would be interesting to look at actual precip. levels and soil/groundwater factors in different areas as I suspect we would see some patterns. Sites with good springs/seeps may do well on a dry /sunny year while ledgy upland sites likely suffer.
    About 750 taps on High Vac.
    2.5 x 8 Intens-O-Fire
    Airtech 3 hp LR Pump
    Springtech Elite 500 RO
    14 x 24 Timber Frame SugarHouse
    16 x 22 Sap Shed w/ 1500 gal. + 700 gal. tanks
    www.littlehogbackfarm.com

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