When should I tap?

[huxta]

This is only my 2nd year tapping and the weather in southern Indian is warmer than last year. It appears that day temps will stay above freezing every day in the foreseeable forecast. We haven't had a long cold spell staying below freezing for more than a couple days.
Should I go ahead and tap soon?
Wait a few weeks?
Will the mild winter hurt the sap flow?

[asknupp]

Being a neighbor I would definitely wait. It's bound to get cold and stay that way for a while. Late Jan is the earliest I've tapped and I hit it right that year but be patient. We are all ready to go.lol

[TonyL]

I'm watching the weather, and think we might tap two weeks from now. Our weather is just too unstable, and it seems the last couple years when it starts to warm, it gets warm fast and stays that way. I am a believer in tapping early.

[Andrew Franklin]

I've also never tapped earlier than late January, and usually later than that. I honestly don't know if sap will be flowing tomorrow when it's going to get really warm, but I am sure we will have a solid prolonged freeze in our future and I prefer to wait for that first thaw to tap.

[DrTimPerkins]

Should I go ahead and tap soon?
Wait a few weeks?
Will the mild winter hurt the sap flow?

If you are on vacuum and are using good spout/drop sanitation practices, tapping fairly early has little negative impact on seasonal sap yield. Producers with thousands or tens of thousands of taps in this area (northern Vermont) often start tapping about this time of year in order to be fully tapped in at the time the sap starts to run (early March). Spouts (with good sanitation) on vacuum will remain viable for at least a couple of months or more.

However if you are on buckets, or if you aren't practicing good spout sanitation methods (new spouts annually or very well cleaned spouts), then tapping early typically results in premature taphole drying and significantly reduced yields. If you have a reasonable number of spouts (or have enough help) so you can tap in just a day or two, then waiting until closer to the "usual" tapping and sap run times will more likely result in better yields. Since they are open to the air (and thus open to microbial contamination and oxygen), spouts on buckets typically only run about a month or so before the sap run drops off.

Of course, in those really unusual years (sudden early warm weather without a return to cold temperatures), then all bets are off.

[TonyL]

Yeah...and it's those "really unusual years" that seem to be occurring more frequently here in our area.

[wnybassman]

Yeah...and it's those "really unusual years" that seem to be occurring more frequently here in our area.

And worse yet, you don't know it is a really unusual year until it is hindsight

[DrTimPerkins]

And worse yet, you don't know it is a really usual year until it is hindsight

Correct.....unfortunately.

[TonyL]

Been watching the forecast, thinking we will tap next weekend if it still looks good.

[asknupp]

I'm leaning towards next weekend as well.