3rd year tapping. I tapped some new woods and ran my first lines this year. 75 taps on 3/16...3 lines. After collecting 200 gallons+ and finishing with just over 2 gallons, I started to wonder what type of maple trees I was dealing with. I tested the sap and it's barely 1%.

Attached are some pictures. Are these Black Maples? I was told Black Maples are good sugar producers.

tree.jpg

leaf2.jpg

buds.jpg

Could I expect my sugar to rise as the season progresses or is 1% all I can expect from these trees? I'm 400 gallons of sap into the season and only made 4 gallons. I'm only selling a small batch to cover cost...the rest will be for family and friends....so its not a huge concern. I might need to build an RO setup for next season to help.

Thanks!
Steve