Ah, that makes sense. This tree is in their front yard and dwarfs anything in a several house radius. They don't really have anything growing close to it either. He even said it's roots have broken into the city waterlines. It's truly a hobbyist's gem.Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins
Suburban Mapler
2018 - 5 taps
2019 - 10 taps
As you might guess, trees growing on top of a septic system tend to do very well also.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Maybe its roots have gotten into the sewer line and not the water line...As you might guess, trees growing on top of a septic system tend to do very well also.
Suburban Mapler
2018 - 5 taps
2019 - 10 taps
As an installer of septics, tree's love getting their roots into the lines. We have fixed many a backed up system, just by digging up the tank and checking the inlet and outlet lines. I have seen an outlet pipe so packed with roots nothing could pass through!!!! Change out the pipe, fill it back in and everyone is happy again. the tree maybe not so
Two items of interest:
1. My daughter who lives in the Portland, Maine area and taps her neighbors silver maple. She has the same experience you have had, and her syrup tends to be light colored. As Dr. Tim mentioned, this tree is out in the open with no competition.
2. Tree roots, from trees of all sizes, will search for water or moisture sources underground. Especially with older gravity sewer piping such as clay tile and Orangeburg pipe, roots find their way into either cracks or joints in the pipe and proliferate in the new found moisture supply. They will grow to fill the pipe and then, obviously, create a clogging point. Not so much with newer (circa late 60's) PVC pipe as the joints have rubber gaskets and don't let roots in readily. I had a septic system in my last house where maple roots snuck into the inlet baffle of the tank and created a nice little clog. Tree roots are not an issue for municipal water systems. These pipes, typically ductile or cast iron, have gasketed, tight joints. If a root were to break in, which is unlikely, water would immediately break out since it is under pressure, the leak would be dug up and repaired, and the root removed in the repair process.
Enjoy the remainder of your season!
Two 2x4 concrete block arches with three steam trays each
Tapping in Mount Vernon since 2016, 30 to 70 taps, 5/16" tube to 1.5 to 3.5 gallon buckets, some trees on collective gravity tubing to 5 gallon buckets.
Mostly sugar maples, a few reds on 200 year old homestead
Anyone else boil outside yesterday with the wind blowing 30-40 mph ?
That will be one to remember. Had a 75' Pine tree come down about 100' away. Craaaaack !
Will be finishing the 60 gal. boil today under more favorable conditions.
Backyard Sugarin' since 1991
Concrete block wood burner
24 taps on gallon jugs
2' x 2' x 6" SS pan
5 gal. SS steamer pan for preheating
89 Arctic Cat Panther sap hauler
Making a few gallons syrup most years.
Maple Baked Beans
Maple Oat Sourdough Bread
Maple Wine
On the bright side you have lots of firewood nearby for next year! We had those winds on the day before. Our evap is in a small shed but even so was difficult to maintain a good boil. Everytime I added firewood some flames would lick out the loading door which never happens so I'm thinking the wind was providing back pressure down the stack. Ran for 8 hours and only got 7l of syrop. Compare to yesterday where I got more than 14l!
2023 - 130 taps, 90L from 4,000L as of mid March
2021 - 84 taps, 50L from 2100L
2020 - 100 taps on buckets, 21L syrup from 2700L so far (FEB 26-Mar 13) and then the pandemic hit! End of our season!
2019 - 62 taps on buckets, 95L syrop from 3215L sap
2018 - 62 taps, collecting by hand, 90L syrop from 3200L sap
2017 - Lapierre Waterloo Small mini pro with 40 taps
2014 - 2016 40 taps making one or two batches on a 2x6 flat pan over an open arch as it would have been done in 1900
That pine does make good fuel for boiling. The wind blew so hard here that the stovepipe blew over . Took the conc. block it was tied to with it.
Backyard Sugarin' since 1991
Concrete block wood burner
24 taps on gallon jugs
2' x 2' x 6" SS pan
5 gal. SS steamer pan for preheating
89 Arctic Cat Panther sap hauler
Making a few gallons syrup most years.
Maple Baked Beans
Maple Oat Sourdough Bread
Maple Wine
Only in this 3 years now but I don't ever recall a winter / spring here in central Maine with so many windy days. half my taps are on vacuum and half are just gravity into buckets (28 buckets in all). Seems like all Ive been doing is chasing flying buckets. they all have logs and bricks on them now. Just crazy windy so far with poor temps. Fortunately the next few days look good.
2017- Started small-made 7 gallons. Long days & few nights on a 1x2 and turkey fryer.
2018- Bought a 2x4 and built a small scale RO. 21 gallons.
2019- moved up to 100 gph procon for my home built RO. Built a steamhood. About 220 taps and 21 gallons again.
2020- 140 procon on the R0. Added a new mainline at my in laws. 330 taps for 24 gallons, sold excess sap.
Some of us with drafty sugar houses had interesting boiling experiences too. I had items blowing off the walls and dust, leaves, bark flying around and in through the cupola.
173 on 3/16 natural vac for 2023
36 buckets
2 x 5 Smoky Lake Hybrid pan on a custom arch
RB25 from RO Bucket
12x24 salvaged sugarhouse built by wife's grandpa
1965 Massey Ferguson 165 tractor to haul sap.
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