Hanging tubing, cleaning tanks, the getting ready process!
Regards,
Chris
Hanging tubing, cleaning tanks, the getting ready process!
Regards,
Chris
Casbohm Maple and Honey
625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
12" SIRO Filter Press.
2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
Too many Cub Cadets
Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck
www.mapleandhoney.com
So this past weekend I cut in a trail to easily get my atv to my maple trees. Last night I made a jig to measure tree diameter.
Today I measured all of my trees. One of the trees I tapped the last 2 years is only 11” in diameter and a new one I found is only 11.5”. So it looks like I will have 12 trees this year till those two grow up if I stay above 12". I have a bunch of trees in the 10” range, thinking it will be another 10 years till those are 12". One of my largest trees was pretty much destroyed in a wind storm.
so I have heard that the minimum size to tap is 10" and 12" from different sources. Opinions please!!!
Last edited by Skeller001; 01-12-2021 at 09:33 AM.
Steve
SE Pennsylvania
2022 - 13 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 17.25
2021 - 18 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 12 pints
2020 - 13 taps, RO5, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove with 2 lg 6 deep pans - 6.75 pints (very warm winter)
2019 Rookie Season - 14 taps, RO5, turkey fryer with 6 deep pan - 16.5 pints
Tree size is important. Thos small ones should only get one tap hole. Or if you have the patience then you can wait 20 years! Use the smallest spout/ tap you can to minimize the wound.
Good luck with your season.
Several folks in the area getting ready, washing tanks, test boils with water, lines being worked in the sugarbush too. Getting a little anysy in this neck of the woods. Pretty typical. Weather, well its just around freezing. No hard deep frost in the ground. What will the season bring? Tap them and wait six weeks to find out!
Our Taste and Tour event will be different this year with more social distancing, "drive in /stay in car ordering and pick up" at some sugarhouses too. Will let you know how that works after mid March.
looking forward to making some nice syrup this year and maybe a little "Fire & Ice" brand syrup too!
Regards,
Chris
Casbohm Maple and Honey
625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
12" SIRO Filter Press.
2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
Too many Cub Cadets
Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck
www.mapleandhoney.com
I'll make one comment on your tree size. I look at trees and determine their future potential. If they are good relatively straight healthy trees, I leave them alone until they are bigger, but if they are in poor health, broken tops or other damage that will make them a cull in the future I tap them.
125-150 taps
Smokey Lakes Full pint Hybrid pan
Modified half pint arch
Air over fire
All 3/16 tubing
Southern Ohio
I wasn't clear in my earlier message on tree size. I have only tapped one tree under 12" in the past and that was before I made my tree diameter gauge this year. I wasn't planning on tapping anything under 12" this year. Is 12" the min diameter I should stick with since I don't want to hurt any trees?
Steve
SE Pennsylvania
2022 - 13 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 17.25
2021 - 18 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 12 pints
2020 - 13 taps, RO5, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove with 2 lg 6 deep pans - 6.75 pints (very warm winter)
2019 Rookie Season - 14 taps, RO5, turkey fryer with 6 deep pan - 16.5 pints