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Thread: Sap flow question

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    Pepperell, MA
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    79

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    I've had very little for the last week or so. I'll take what I get through this weekend and call it quits I think. I have a long commute and just don't have an easy way to make time for small amounts.

  2. #12
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    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    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.
    Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 03-20-2020 at 10:53 AM.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  3. #13
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    Nov 2013
    Location
    Princeton, MA
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    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
    Mountain Maple farm
    2022 NAMSC award winning dark amber syrup
    2023: 320 taps, 70% red maples. Mountain Maple S4 diaphragm pump controller with automated sap transfer and text messaging
    Website:
    https://www.mountainmaplefarm.com
    https://www.facebook.com/MountainMapleFarm/

  4. #14
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    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by Biz View Post
    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.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

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    Quote Originally Posted by Biz View Post
    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.
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

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    Quote Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins View Post
    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.
    My experience here appears to me, that a warm spell during a six week period will permanently shut down a tap hole dropped to a bucket on a Red Maple easier then it will on a tap hole dropped to a bucket on a Sugar Maple.

    Sometimes I wonder if it because the cellulose of a Sugar Maple is substantially more dense/harder then the cellulose of a Red Maple, and is so across the profile of the entire stumpage. Even more so in the sap wood. Thus it "might" be slightly more impervious to organisms that shut down or dry out the tap hole. Very much like Red Maple lumber "spalts" significantly faster then sugar maple lumber does.

    HMMM???
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

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