To Tap or not to Tap
We usually tap on Town Meeting Day (2nd of March this year) around these parts in North Vermont BUT Mother Nature is dropping the air temp a whopping possible 70 degrees from Monday morning till Tuesday morning. 40 degrees actual air temp tomorrow morning then actual temp at or below 0 at night with 40-50 mph winds and a -15 to -30 wind chill on Tuesday morning. That is not good news.
I know what my decision would be, we'll wait.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
For sure... standing by for a change in the weather is in the cards. Maybe next week. I really want to make some syrup!
Still waiting here. Looking like next week before temps moderate.
https://weatherstreet.com/models/gfs...e-forecast.php
Backyard Sugarin' since 1991
Concrete block wood burner
24 taps on gallon jugs
2' x 2' x 6" SS pan
5 gal. SS steamer pan for preheating
89 Arctic Cat Panther sap hauler
Making a few gallons syrup most years.
Maple Baked Beans
Maple Oat Sourdough Bread
Maple Wine
I checked my 3 test buckets just now and after 2 days of warm weather nothing running. Zilch. Nada. Now within hours the temps are nose diving to the tune of -25 wind chill.
Do you still have snow packed tight around the trunk of the tree? Not going to get much until it melts back a little.
Weather just changed here in a matter of seconds. Was a nice day, then bam...wind now blowing like crazy.
Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 03-01-2021 at 02:13 PM.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
My big estate trees had enough loosened and melted around the trunks that I thought for sure I'd be surprised with a run but no dice. The weather for the next week will put it all on hold for sure. Yesterday afternoon here I went for a blue sky ski with pleasant temps then 10 minutes in the house and we got hit with winds, sideways snow and less than 200yards visibility.
Often the first couple of what would seemingly be good sap flow days are not.
1. Snow needs to melt back a little bit away from the trunk to allow sap to pass this zone.
2. The tree needs to recharge. Over the winter, some moisture has transpired through the bark (mostly in the branches), so there is not a lot left to run when the weather turns warm. There needs to be a thaw followed by a freeze and another thaw before the sap will run well.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
It looks like a week from today I may luck out with some sap. I hope so. It should be quite a thaw after this run of cold weather.
Hey Dr. Tim
I was unaware the snow pack around the trunk. Appreciate the insight.
2020 1st season- 8 gallons of syrup
2021 2nd season- 11 gallons of syrup
2022 3rd season 6 gallons of syrup
2023 4th season- 7 gallons of syrup
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