Sapling taps

[Woody77]

Hey Dr. perkins or anyone using these where do I get some of the taps your using on the saplings.
I have a small patch of young trees that are going to be removed in a couple years to make room for my new house. I'd transplant them but there root bound to a point that I'd Probably just kill them anyway. This cluster of trees is on a high bluff I have a good 20' of fall to a bulk tank location about 150' away . What would you suggest for line size and number of taps per line . Any info would be awesome.
I missed you at the MMSA meeting this weekend due to the snow storm . Maybe next year.

[maple flats]

Not Dr Perkins, but I suggest you use 3/16 tubing. I have no idea where you would get what you need to tap the stumps.
I would think if those trees will be there for 2 seasons, just tap as normal at waist-chest height and run tubing as normal, up to 30 taps/lateral, then run the 3/16 all the way to the tank. Just realize that being small means small crowns and fewer leaves. The sugar % will be lower as a result.

[DrTimPerkins]

The "sap caps" are not commercially available. We've always made our own by hand (and it isn't easy to ge them perfect). We've been working with CDL to develop and test a commercial version. The ball is in their court right now -- you'd have to check with them.

We've never tried it except on pumped vacuum, so I can't tell you how well it'll work on 3/16" natural vacuum. Might be OK, might not work at all (there is no top to the tree to generate some sap from head pressure, so you might never get enough to get the natural vacuum going).

[mountainvan]

I made my own to get sapling sap. 1/2" clear tubing cut 4" slid on a cut branch then clamped onto the tree. Then used various fittings to work down to 3/16 tubing. Mine are on vacuum.

[DrTimPerkins]

The best results are achieved with saplings in the 1.5-2.5" diameter range.