I would like to perform a prescribed fire in my sugarbush as we did a select cut last year. My question is: Can a prescribed burn be done in a sugarbush without hurting the tubing? Our tubing is approximately 30" off the ground.
I would like to perform a prescribed fire in my sugarbush as we did a select cut last year. My question is: Can a prescribed burn be done in a sugarbush without hurting the tubing? Our tubing is approximately 30" off the ground.
Chad
2014: 12 taps, 5 gal buckets
2015: 15 taps on bags
2016: 150 taps: 100 on bags, 50 on 3/16" natural vac, 2x8 AUF/AOF Homebuilt Arch, 2x8 SL Drop Flu & Auto Draw, SL Propane Canner/Bottler
2017: 225 taps: Built Lean to, Added SL hood, preheater, concentric exhaust, SL SS 7" SB Filter Press
2018: 180 taps: Added Shurflo to 50 - 3/16", Auto fill sensor to head tank
2019: No tapping
2020: 175 taps
2021: 300 taps, homemade RO and releaser
2022: 600+ taps
I never heard of a prescribed burn in a sugarbush.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
What do you hope to accomplish with a prescribed burn? I also have never heard of one being done in a sugarbush and in my opinion yes your tubing will suffer some damage.
First introduced to making maple syrup in 1969
Making syrup every year since 1979
3 x 10 oil fired
Revolution syrup and max flue pan
Almost 1300 taps total with 900 on high vacuum
Bought first Marcland drawoff in 1997, still going strong.
What exactly are you burning? A brush pile, or a section of bush.
2019 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 44 taps 13 Liters syrup
2020 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 51 taps 21 Liters syrup
2021- New homemade 2x3 evaporator and flat pan 80 drop tubes to buckets
2022- (•,•)1350L naturally ROd sap 44L syrup
2023- "\_(°•°)_/" 1100L sap 30L syrup not accurate due to natural RO
2024 { ';' }
Might as well take down the tubing and throw it right into the fire.
I have always heard that sugar maples are easily damaged by even small fires. There was a ground fire started by kids in part of the sugar woods I bought in 2003 and there were quite a few sugar maples that sustained lower trunk damage. They survived but it has been almost 20 years and the scars are still not completely grown over.
Joe
2004- 470 taps on gravity and buckets
2006- 590 taps on gravity and buckets 300 gph RO
2009- 845 taps on vacuum no buckets, 600 gph RO
2010- 925 taps on vacuum new 2 stage vacuum pump
2014- 3045 taps on vacuum, new 1200 gph RO
2015- 3104 taps on vacuum
2017- 3213 taps on vacuum
3' x 10' oil fired evaporator with steamaway
The hope for a prescribed burn would be to clean off the leaf litter allowing the ground to be warmed and have natural regeneration of the forest floor with forbes and legumes. I manage my property for maple, bees, and deer. Having a prescribed fire provides a bioligical desert under the canopy to regenerate and provide a lot of food for deer and small animals.
Chad
2014: 12 taps, 5 gal buckets
2015: 15 taps on bags
2016: 150 taps: 100 on bags, 50 on 3/16" natural vac, 2x8 AUF/AOF Homebuilt Arch, 2x8 SL Drop Flu & Auto Draw, SL Propane Canner/Bottler
2017: 225 taps: Built Lean to, Added SL hood, preheater, concentric exhaust, SL SS 7" SB Filter Press
2018: 180 taps: Added Shurflo to 50 - 3/16", Auto fill sensor to head tank
2019: No tapping
2020: 175 taps
2021: 300 taps, homemade RO and releaser
2022: 600+ taps
From what I have read maple do not like fire. Indians in Canada did control burns pre settlers to promote grass for deer and promote growth in nut and fruit trees. the maples in Canada came after the Indians stopped the burns. that is when maples filed in the large fields.
2017 140 taps 30x8 12x16 shack 28.5 gal
2018 158 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 44 gal
2019 223 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 36 gal
2020 226 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 63 gal
2021 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 37 gal
2022 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 55 gal
2023 235 taps 30x8 12x16 waterloo ro
As the leaf litter breaks down it helps condition and fertilize the soil.
Smoky Lake 2x6 dropflu pans and hoods on homemade arch
Smoky Lake 6 gallon water jacked bottler
Concentric Exhaust
250 Deer Run RO
325 taps
Chad, In my opinion your plan is way overestimating the benefits of the prescribed burn. By burning the leaf litter, you will be destroying the natural fertilizer and more importantly, destroying any young maple regeneration. The deer are the last thing I would want in my maple woods. I have way too many deer around my woods and thy are browsing all the small maples that should be growing the next generation of the sugar bush
Joe
2004- 470 taps on gravity and buckets
2006- 590 taps on gravity and buckets 300 gph RO
2009- 845 taps on vacuum no buckets, 600 gph RO
2010- 925 taps on vacuum new 2 stage vacuum pump
2014- 3045 taps on vacuum, new 1200 gph RO
2015- 3104 taps on vacuum
2017- 3213 taps on vacuum
3' x 10' oil fired evaporator with steamaway