Looking at the forecast it looks like next week may end up being a good one to tap. Anyone else planning to tap or am I just jumping the gun?
Looking at the forecast it looks like next week may end up being a good one to tap. Anyone else planning to tap or am I just jumping the gun?
your lucky, 30 below zero today in upstate NY
I think once this extended deep freeze is over the temps will swing just as radically upward and yes there will be sap to get. The bigger question is if it will start an early season. A few years ago we had a December like this and by mid-january it warmed up and I tapped and was making syrup everyday, then it turned back cold in February and I sat for three weeks at a frozen stand still. Then it warmed way up and we had a 10 day sap tsunami and the season was over. I hope it warms and stays cool. I have some fall taps out that I will just keep working into late January, as I think they will be fine since I only had them out a week before the deep freeze. I look for it to warm and stay that way until late season then have a cold March. For Kentucky my guess is you should be ready to go soon as the trend swings. I'm guessing I'll have all taps in by third week of January
We are planning to tap this Sunday if the forecast doesn't change drastically. This is our fourth year tapping here in NKY. We are hoping to put out 45 taps and burn with a new evaporator hubby is fabricating from an old oil tank. If any veterans out there have any input as to tapping this early please let us know. We don't want to do it too early but the conditions just seem great to tap....
bluegrass, what part of Ky are you in? Your region will make a big difference. My guess is your a bit early, but will be ok. Most people expect to get get 6 weeks out of their taps and that puts you at mid february. My season is generally over the first week of March here in southern Ohio, So I shoot for the 20-25th of January as a target and adjust according to weather. If your Northeastern Ky your about the same as me, western a little earlier and central to south a week to 10 days earlier. My best guess is wait a week, but I'm sure you'll get sap next week, but what happens is your taps start the process of healing and sap production declines as season goes on. That means when peek season comes you will already have tap holes that are slowing and it will hurt your peek production. I'm assuming your not on high vacuum with these comments, vacuum will keep you going more and so you'll do better early tapping. If you are hanging buckets or bags I'd say wait.
We are in Northern Kentucky....Crittenden to be exact which is just about 1/2 hr south of Cincinnati. We are just on buckets as you predicted so maybe we will wait a bit longer as you suggested since we are probably about the same region as you. That would help my husband not feel so pressured to get the evaporator finished pronto. I just saw the forecast with the good freezes and the above freezing temps and got antsy but that's why it is nice to have the input. My parents are the only others that I know that tap trees but they are in MO....similar region but also fairly new to the tree tapping process. Thanks for the advice
Well, we indeed did wait until now to set out our taps. We are planning on tapping tonight and Saturday in the hopes of getting them in before the ground thaws too much and we are tromping in a muddy mess! The children are super excited to use the new evaporator that should be much more efficient than in years previous. Good luck to all....I truly enjoy this season! Before we tapped trees I absolutely dreaded the outdoors in winter and avoided it at all costs but now I thrive on getting out and seeing how much sap we can collect and cook down!!
I tapped 10 or so wednesday . Hearing a little bit of dripping tonight. Hope the flow gets better as the ground warms. Looks like its gonna get a little too warm later in the week.
Another question for you all that have years of experience...Should I be worried that only about half of my taps flowed over this warm-up? Do certain trees perform better year after year? Or does it vary by season? I just didn't know if the trees that didn't put out sap this year should not be tapped in future years. Is it odd for trees near eachother to perform quite drastically....for example, one fills the bucket and the other bucket is dry? Thanks for any responses and your time taken to give them!
We tapped the trees at the Shelby Campus of University of Louisville on 1/20. Had good flow for a day, then warmed up. Cooled down some yesterday, today is in mid 30's. Tonight is forecast to be in upper 20's so hopefully we'll have some sap tomorrow.
Dave Barker
2014 30 taps, steam tray pans
2015 ~100 taps, in conjunction with University of Louisville
2x5 Smoky Lake hybrid pan
2022 150 taps