Trees not producing yet??

[Jaredd91]

Im still kinda new this will be my 3rd season just wondering if its normal for trees to be not producing yet? Im in southern maine and i usually tap in march but decided to get a head start this year since ive seen everyone else in my area already running. It was warm today like 40 and didnt look like anything was running like i expected it to be wondering if its just a bad season or if i tapped too early??

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

You didn't do anything wrong and you certainly can't call it a bad season. It hasn't started yet! I wouldn't expect much this week, even in southern Maine. They may thaw out tomorrow and run some Sunday but I wouldn't expect a lot of sap this week. It will take several days for the trees to thaw out.

[DrTimPerkins]

When did you tap? If it was more than a month ago, the tapholes might have dried up, but more likely the trees haven't thawed yet.

How cold has it been the last couple of nights? Trees don't warm up as fast as the air....it takes them a while to thaw out...sometimes days if the temps have been really cold recently. Just because it's 40 deg F now, if it was 10 deg F this morning it's going to be a while for the wood to thaw.

How much snow is around the base of the tree? If there is a lot, the water can't be drawn up into the stem. it could take a freeze/thaw cycle or two after snow melts back to start running well.

[Tuckeradams2012]

Jarred,

I have a few trees in Westbrook that I tapped Sunday, they started producing today, but they are yard trees with not a lot of snow around them and some have fairly direct sun. It isn't much just about an inch in the buckets.

[Jaredd91]

When did you tap? If it was more than a month ago, the tapholes might have dried up, but more likely the trees haven't thawed yet.

How cold has it been the last couple of nights? Trees don't warm up as fast as the air....it takes them a while to thaw out...sometimes days if the temps have been really cold recently. Just because it's 40 deg F now, if it was 10 deg F this morning it's going to be a while for the wood to thaw.

How much snow is around the base of the tree? If there is a lot, the water can't be drawn up into the stem. it could take a freeze/thaw cycle or two after snow melts back to start running well.

I tapped them probably a couple weeks ago now but yeh i was worried i might have to retap i didnt even know if it was possible for them to seal up in that time

[BROWN71]

Give it a few days. We are mid-coast and our trees loosend up for the first time today it will take a few days for them to really get going.

[LMP Maple]

Tapped in Hudson NH today. It was flowing but really depended on exposure. You should be in good shape. As everyone has said it is going to take some time for the trees to thaw especially those that don't get a lot of sun etc. I have tapped on the same day by chance the last 3 years, Feb. 23rd and had no problems with the tap holes being viable into April. By then I am done and pull the taps. If the weather pattern continues, hopefully a slow build, over the next week or week and a half you should see some sap. They are calling for 50 here on Saturday, a little warm for me but you should be close to that in southern Maine. Good luck.

[blissville maples]

Im still kinda new this will be my 3rd season just wondering if its normal for trees to be not producing yet? Im in southern maine and i usually tap in march but decided to get a head start this year since ive seen everyone else in my area already running. It was warm today like 40 and didnt look like anything was running like i expected it to be wondering if its just a bad season or if i tapped too early??

It will soon come!
The trees have not thawed a likely need some cycles of thawing in freezing. When I first started sugaring I used to get excited when I saw some of them clowns tapping in January, it's more science than circus and see who can tap first!! . It's just not the time, the weather is very important you can tap anytime but tapping during the right time frame is crucial. I feel a lot of people hear these bigger producer starting in December and January and they feel like they have to start then also. If you look at the numbers of some of these big producers they're not all that great!