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Thread: Underproducing trees...I tap, no sap!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    8

    Default Underproducing trees...I tap, no sap!

    I have 50 trees that I have tapped for 5years. 5 Red Maples and 45 Sugar Maples. Last season I collected about 900 gallon of sap in all. However, the 5 Reds (16"to24"dia.) have consistently given me less than a gallon of sap each per year.
    The trees are odd in that although they have the distinctive canker target, they have the smooth gray bark of a beech tree. Not what I would expect from an older Red Maple.
    I have spoken with a local forester, experienced people at our supply store, and folks at MSU (Michigan) forestry department. No answers.
    Any incite would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Temperance Mi
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    411

    Default

    I have found that reds that are covered in water for a long period of time the previous year do not run well the following year. Some reds will really run, others are duds. They are hard to predict ahead of time but after 5 yrs you probably have nonproducers.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Rutland, Vermont
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    326

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    Do you have them under vacuum? Reds will produce best with vac.
    CDL 2.5*8 Venturi with all the bells
    Leader Clear 5 bank filter press
    Memprotec 350H RO
    600ish taps and looking for more.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Canaan NH
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    373

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    I tap about 150 reds, and they don't run for beans on gravity. They run decent on 25 inches of vacuum though, average seasonal syrup production is 0.25 gpt.
    Boulder Trail Sugaring
    150 Taps on Vacuum
    Homemade 20"x40" Hybrid Pan - 15 gph
    Homemade Steamaway - 10 gph
    Waterguys single-post RO

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
    Posts
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    Vacuum made a HUGE difference on my reds. About 90 of my 99 are reds and with vacuum this year I got over 0.27 gpt of syrup. This is far more than I have gotten in the past on buckets and this season was short and lousy. I had a lot of non-producers before I put them on vacuum.

    If you put them on a simple diaphragm pump style vacuum system I'd bet you will be much happier with the results.
    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com
    ~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    2021: 27.1 gallons
    2022: 35 gallons

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

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    I also only ever got much off reds without vacuum. Are you on vacuum. It seems, at least on my reds that 3/16 gravity generated vacuum can't work because the reds are not on the hills, you need mechanical vacuum. I had mine on 27", they did well, back before I had good vacuum I never tapped any reds, only sugars.
    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    6,391

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    On good vacuum, red maples can produce reasonably well...quite close to sugar maple in volume, sometimes a bit less sap sugar. However, they are quite variable from tree-to-tree and even from one taphole to another on the same tree. Why is still a bit of a mystery.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Michigan
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    Default

    Thanks for all the input.
    I got the message. Don't expect much from Reds if not on vaccum.
    Unfortunately I do not have them on vaccum, only buckets.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim in Clarkston View Post
    Thanks for all the input.
    I got the message. Don't expect much from Reds if not on vaccum.
    Unfortunately I do not have them on vaccum, only buckets.
    Do you have your sugars on vacuum. If you don't and you got 20 gallons of sap out of each tap ( 900 / 45 = 20 ) you should forget about your reds and find more sugars in your area.


    Or take your chances with the law and sneak onto a neighbors property and tap their sugars.


    20 gallons per tap, per season on gravity is rare.
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

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