The long range weather for our area does not look good at all. It's weather, and it changes constantly, but right now it's looking like it may be a short season.
The long range weather for our area does not look good at all. It's weather, and it changes constantly, but right now it's looking like it may be a short season.
We got our first boil in on Thursday - nothing crazy but enough to sweeten the pans and make enough for it to be worth our while. Friday I had an OK boil but it ran later in the day and I wanted to clean everything up before it froze so it was a late night.
We're loving the sap being pumped back to the camp! Between the 2 days boiling we only had to gather 5 loads total. We're still figuring out what needs to happen when and can use some more side ties on the pump line but it's definitely going to be another thing we will wish we'd done sooner.
4,600 Taps on vacuum
9,400 gallons storage
3 tower CDL RO
3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
www.ennismaple.com
Marty,our first boil Friday night,same thing,just enough to sweeten the pans and make sure everything is working okay. Have you got much squirrel damage? This year seems to be the most we’ve had in a long time. Whole lateral lines being replaced as much as three times so far,and for the first time holes in the mainlines
7th generation maple producer in sugarhouse built in 1892
2x World Champion Maple Syrup Producer
1250 taps on cv adapters
Leader Vortex 3x14 with Max Flue and Revolution Syrup Pan,Enhanced Steam Away
www.leggettmaplesyrup.com
Bruce - no noticeable increase in squirrel damage. Most damage is deer chews with some coyote and bear chews on mainlines. We did have a small section of woods a few years ago where a squirrel had stolen every stubby tap in a 1 acre area. We didn't get it with the 22 but thankfully it's moved on or starved to death from eating all those plastic acorns!
4,600 Taps on vacuum
9,400 gallons storage
3 tower CDL RO
3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
www.ennismaple.com
Hello All,
I am fairly quiet on this forum. I get some great knowledge here. Thanks for all that I have learnt on this forum.
I have a situation and I was hoping to get some help. I have two fairly old Maple trees 84" and 69" in circumference. I live in the Ottawa area. I have tapped them in the past for a couple of years and had good results. However, this year I tapped them about 2 weeks ago and until today I have had 0 sap. I initially drilled 2 inches deep holes. I checked around my neighborhood including my neighbor and they are getting some sap. I made sure when I drilled it was far away from my previous drill holes and also made sure I got some fresh pulp. At one point I thought I might have to drill a little deeper given the*trees are quite big. So I drilled the existing holes to 2 1/2 inches. Still no luck
Does anyone here have any idea why I have had 0 success so far this year? Its really strange. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Last edited by BackyardMapleSyrup; 03-16-2021 at 04:05 PM.
Hey Backyard, welcome to the craziness! FWIW I think 2 weeks ago was too early to start tapping. Also, it takes at last 2 weeks for my bigger trees - the size of yours and bigger - to get their butts in gear and really start producing. And it is maddening when your neighbour is getting sap and you aren't, but are their trees of comparable size? Also whereabouts in the Ottawa area do you live? There are so many variables, ranging from the species of maple you are tapping to where they are located on your property in relation to factors like wind, sun and drainage. The recent cold spell doesn't help things either.
Last edited by Galena; 03-16-2021 at 04:21 PM.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
Its funny. I helped my neighbor drill his tree and the sap flowed instantly. But their tree might be 20% to 25% smaller. I am located around woodroffef and huntclub area. The trees get a lot of shade from our home in the morning. Of course the top gets a lot of sun. I think we have a Sugar and a Red Maple. Sugar is the larger one. Tomorrow the weather is suppose to reach 7 degrees C. Lets see what's that going to do. Towards Sunday they are calling for high of 14 degrees so I am thinking that might be too warm. I think I just need to be patient.
Hmm if you have a red maple it may be starting to get red fuzzy buds, and the bark would be a different colour than the sugar. Also the sugar shouldn't be anywhere near close to budding yet. There should definitely be some sap Sunday. Freakishly warm weather coming along suddenly after a cold snap can lead to sap tsunamis, though with 2 trees, I think you'll be ok ;-) how many taps on them? And yes, patience is a virtue. Especially with weird weather patterns. Finally, what species of maple is your neighbour tapping? If it's a red then it probably will be running already.
Last edited by Galena; 03-16-2021 at 06:39 PM.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
That's just the way it goes sometimes. Bigger trees have bigger deeper roots that can also take longer to thaw and send the sap up.. I have some of my big silvers that are giving some sap, and few that have just dripped a bit when drilled, and then nothing. They will eventually give it up. Although, I have a massive silver in my backyard that I tapped one year and barely gave me anything so I haven't it again.. but you have positive history on your side. Sunday or Monday might be the last flow until the warm spell dies down the following week.. Too back Friday is a below freezing day, otherwise I think we'd have a really good run into the weekend..fingers crossed they are wrong!
Welcome to the addiction! :-)
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2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup
From my limited research I think I have a sugar and a red although the leave for both are green. I will need to do more research to confirm. However, it does not look like they are ready to bud soon. I have 2 taps each for a total of 4. I know I can have up to 3 each but I tried to play save to keep the tree alive longer. I really hope we have a tsunamis to make it worth while and to get the kids excited They have been waiting too. My neighbour I am not sure what tree does he have. I will need to find out. I am curious.