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Thread: Rate of growth of sugar maples.....

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Michigan
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    8

    Default Rate of growth of sugar maples.....

    I have numerous sugar maples that seem to be stalled at at 9" in diameter. In fact they are all oval so each measures between 8 1/2" and 9 1/2".
    Here's the Newbie question: how long do you suppose I will have to wait to in order to tap them (10").

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

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    Are they all that size? Did this property recently get logged? I would say if it was logged off and these are your only trees it will take several years for them to reach tapping size. You didn't mention how many trees and if you you had any that were larger.
    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

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    8

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    Thanks for the response.
    I have 45 trees that I tap ranging from 10" to 26". About 15 or 20 trees that are 9". Another 30 or 40 trees that range in size from 5" to 7" in diameter.
    I started measuring 4 years ago and the 9" trees have not grown significantly. Just curious as to the growth rate.
    I'm not getting any younger and would like to think that I could tap these trees before I'm sent off to the Home.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Stockbridge,Ma
    Posts
    285

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    What is the spacing of the trees? For them to add diameter the crowns need room, they should not be touching. You may need to cut a few down so the others will start putting on new growth.
    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.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    Have they been stressed? (Defoliation, drought, bigger trees shading them maybe)?
    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.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    8

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    Again thanks for the feedback...
    In response to your questions: many of the trees are in the woods under an Oak and Hickory and previously White Ash canopy.
    The canopy has opened up significantly since my White Ash all died out about 10 years ago.
    No defoliation, or drought.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Williston, VT
    Posts
    615

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    My woods was surveyed in 2008 and there were many survey ribbons tied to young trees along our boundaries. Most of those trees are still only 1 to 1.5 inch diameter! That's probably near zero growth in 13 years at a time when a trees growth potential is probably greatest.

    My conclusion is that trees under a dense canopy will not grow beyond that young whip size until the canopy is opened up and you probably won't want to wait for mother nature to make that happen. I see that you're talking about larger trees but it seems that they might be stuck in the same limitation.

    Ken
    Ken & Sherry
    Williston, VT
    16x34 Sugarhouse
    1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
    Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
    https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,390

    Default

    Small maple trees under a dense canopy will grow very slowly. They are basically living just above their minimum carbon acquisition needs, and there is barely enough energy capture (from sunlight) to keep them alive, much less grow very much. They are quite shade tolerant, so will hang in there for a really long time, but will either die eventually (might be many decades) or, if the canopy opens, it becomes a race to the top to see which sapling makes it.

    Pole-sized trees have the same issue...they just won't grow very fast or put on much wood unless they have some sun exposure. If you want mature sugar maples that are growing well, you need to thin a bit to get some light onto them. The benefit is that bigger trees produce more sap and sweeter sap. Small understory trees don't produce much sap, and it tends to be low in sugar.

    https://mapleresearch.org/pub/m0218treesize/
    Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 06-02-2021 at 06:58 AM.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

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