I think Sunday or Monday will be the end for me, depending on what the late week temps go. I seem to usually stop on March 21st, so this is right on schedule.
I think Sunday or Monday will be the end for me, depending on what the late week temps go. I seem to usually stop on March 21st, so this is right on schedule.
I noticed this morning on one of the reds close to the house the buds are already swelling. All of a sudden, I didn't notice these just a few days ago.
The first buds to break on red maples are flower buds. They do not cause buddy off-flavor.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
So which buds on the reds mean buddy sap is here?
Leaf buds.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Great temperatures this year. Amazing. Last two days have been magical even though no snow left on the ground.
I taped about 34 sugar maples on or about Feb 3, on about Feb 15 I tapped about 6 more. The past two days have shown some of my best flow of the season in my runs. Every single tap is still running. Boiled yesterday and today and am still boiling my sixth run of the season. i have made close to 10 gallons of syrup, all of it Red Lined on the hydrometer. I have boiled over 400 gallons of sap on three steam pans and am getting pretty tired of it. It would not be so tiring if I had more dry firewood, but I am about to cut into my wood stove supply of Black Locust and White Oak. Burned a standing dead dogwood and it put out some great heat, burned clean too. Some dead trees seem to hold no moisture on the stump ( dogwood is one of them ) and some will. Very interesting. Nothing like a clear stack and lots of steam.
Spilled about 2 ounces of syrup today as my upside down mason jar top was over tightened and leaked for some seconds.
Reluctant to put any sap in the ground. To date my sap loss is less then 1 gallon.
Lots of lighter colored syrup this year. Most of it in the second half.
I wonder why the low yield? We're about 6 miles apart, I just went past last year yesterday, and should be all time year tomorrow. Some of my trees are running better now than a month ago, go figure - Weather is showing frost / freeze again for Fri or Sat, maybe both, then again Tue / Wed next week. I'll stay till the last drop falls -
I had my best run all year today! I wasn’t feeling the best yesterday now it’s timw to play catch up going to be a late one tonight. I have a total of 13 gallons on the year
2018 - 30 buckets boiled on 2 barrel evaporators 2.5 gal
2019 - 48 on 5/16 tubing and 30 buckets 2x4 WF mason XL 14 gallons made.
2020 - 85 on 5/16 tubing and 30 buckets and a new cupola on the shack
2021 - Mountain maple s3 controller with shurflo 4048 pump added 85 on 5/16 30 buckets
2022 - 85 on 5/16 no buckets this year (next gen sugar maker on tap)
Went to bed at 3:30 this AM and woke up at 6:30 AM for more punishment for drilling holes in trees.
1980 - 6 taps, stone fire pit, drain pan evaporator, 1 pint of syrup
2016 - 55 taps on 3/16 and gravity, new sugar shack, 2x3 Mason XL, 16 gallons of syrup
2017 - 170 taps on 3/16, 2x4 Mason XL, NextGen RO. 50 gallons of syrup
2018 - 250+ taps on gravity and buckets, 2x5 Smokey Lake arch and Beaverland pan.
2019 - 250+ taps on gravity. A few buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
2020 - 300+ taps on gravity. 50 gallons of syrup.
2021 - 280 taps on gravity and 40 buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.