Sap flow question

[ShaunG]

As anyone in Mass know there really hasn't been a freeze thaw pattern. I'm on buckets and bags and mostly red maples. But sap flow has been nonexistent for probably about 8 or 9 days. We have had a few days of colder temperatures I'm just now getting a trickle.
So 2 questions

Is this happening to everyone else?

And will it start up again, or is that to long of a time to stop?

[ecolbeck]

I am further west and a little higher up. We had a hard freeze last weekend and a few weak freezes this week. Sap flow has really slowed. The warm days are causing bacterial counts to jump and plug up the tap holes.

[ShaunG]

So do you think the season is done?

[tgormley358]

I’m wondering the same thing and have no answers, but for me it has been 6 weeks (feb 9 tapped), which is as long as the season normally lasts around here, so I’m ready to call it a season if it doesn’t pick up soon. I was expecting more early this week. I might still wait thru the weekend though since we have 2 more consecutive nights in the low-mid 20s

[ecolbeck]

I am going to boil this afternoon and then wait it out until after this weekend when a solid freeze is predicted. I tapped just over 3 weeks ago, so I have nothing to lose by waiting a little longer and hoping for the best.

[maple flats]

Reds usually do poorer on gravity, vacuum helps a lot, even if you can only get a small diaphragm pump, it will help your sap flow on Reds. If you even only have 10-15' of elevation drop 3/16 laterals can help too, more slope of course helps more. For those on buckets or bags, 6 weeks is generally considered your season, that is why tapping at the right time is most important for you.

[DrTimPerkins]

Tapholes on gravity buckets/bags typically last about 6 weeks unless you get really hot weather during that time, which could dry out tapholes abruptly. That timeframe is true of red maple and sugar maple. I suspect that some of you are at or past that time if you tapped in early-February. In short, those tapholes are done for the season. Tubing (with good sanitation) will get you a bit more. Vacuum tubing with excellent sanitation will almost double that time as long as weather conditions are not terribly unfavorable.

One thing we've found in our measurements of red maples on vacuum over the past few years is that they are extremely variable (it is likely to be the same for gravity collection). One taphole will produce huge amounts of sap, the next one very little. This is true for trees that are next to other, or even in two tapholes in the same tree. Why is this? We aren't sure yet, but it has nothing to do with direction of tapping or whether we tap higher or lower (above or below the lateral line). UVM PMRC (mostly Dr. Abby) will be doing a good amount of more research with red maple over the next couple of years.

[Biz]

I am looking forward to the results on red maples. Prior to discovering 3/16 lines and vacuum from gravity or small diaphragm pumps, I did not bother tapping red maples since they produced very little sap. Now I have nearly 2/3 of my 200 taps on red maples with gravity or vacuum and the sap production is close to that of my sugar maples - although sugar content is slightly lower. This year I am getting a really nice flavor from my syrup, caramel-like. I see a lot of land in flat areas near rivers or swamps that has a high concentration or red maples, what a great way to pull some money out of an otherwise worthless piece of land.

Dave

[DrTimPerkins]

I am looking forward to the results on red maples.

The ongoing project from last year and this year is a preliminary study to compare sap yields and sugar content of cohabiting sugar and red maple trees, and to look at the change in yield from one versus two taps in red maple stems on vacuum (we already know that relationship in sugar maple).

Dr. Abby's project over the next 3 years focuses on comparing sap yield, sugar content, and syrup flavor from cohabiting sugar and red maple trees on vacuum. We basically have to build two complete vacuum tubing systems side-by-side. One will collect from ONLY red maple trees, the other will collect ONLY from sugar maple trees. As part of that, Abby will try to determine if and when red maple sap goes "buddy" compared to sugar maple sap.

[Sugar Bear]

I am looking forward to the results on red maples. Prior to discovering 3/16 lines and vacuum from gravity or small diaphragm pumps, I did not bother tapping red maples since they produced very little sap. Now I have nearly 2/3 of my 200 taps on red maples with gravity or vacuum and the sap production is close to that of my sugar maples - although sugar content is slightly lower. This year I am getting a really nice flavor from my syrup, caramel-like. I see a lot of land in flat areas near rivers or swamps that has a high concentration or red maples, what a great way to pull some money out of an otherwise worthless piece of land.

Dave

Its important to recognize that a good stand of large sugar maples will frequently flux twice the sugar content as a good stand of red maples.

If not twice as much then much more so rather then slightly more sugar content then red maples.

If you do not have RO make sure you have a LOT of firewood.