Getting ready in MA

[berkshires]

Thanks for that calendar...I looked up Haverhill and just want to tap NOW

Usually I wait until at least valentines.

Broke down and bought a CDL Vacuum filter, one of the small ones...in my homemade one the pots kept getting vacuume together and I would have to pump air in to separate them...which was....explosive in sound. I had this nightmare about getting hit with shrapnel at some point

All the drops are in the lines and the lines are tight. I just need to flush/wash/flush the RO. I bought a garden hose water filter so I could use city water as I have no access to well water. It will strain out the chlorine and metals (I hope) until I can generate some permeate. I may, in fact run the strained water thru the RO to make some permeate-in-waiting.

Two years ago we had similar weather. I tapped on 2/10, and was very disappointed by the first few runs. Barely a drip in the bottom of many buckets. Days are too short, frost in the ground too thick, too much snow around the base of the trees. Then what should have been monster runs in late march was small or nothing in a number of taps that had dried up. Maybe I should just blame the long stretch of very warm days in March for the taps drying prematurely, but I can't also help but think that if I'd held off two weeks before tapping I'd have hit that big run in late march instead of that miniscule run at the beginning of Feb.

But my sugarbush is at almost 900 feet elevation, maybe you'll have better luck.

Cheers,

GO

[ecolbeck]

Two years ago we had similar weather. I tapped on 2/10, and was very disappointed by the first few runs. Barely a drip in the bottom of many buckets. Days are too short, frost in the ground too thick, too much snow around the base of the trees. Then what should have been monster runs in late march was small or nothing in a number of taps that had dried up. Maybe I should just blame the long stretch of very warm days in March for the taps drying prematurely, but I can't also help but think that if I'd held off two weeks before tapping I'd have hit that big run in late march instead of that miniscule run at the beginning of Feb.

But my sugarbush is at almost 900 feet elevation, maybe you'll have better luck.

Cheers,

GO

This is all very true. If you think of a tree as a giant block of ice (which it essentially is), it will take much more than a warm day or two to thaw it out. Sugaring is a game of patience. Don't let sap fever get the best of you!

[berkshires]

Exactly. I just checked my logs, and that year after tapping on 2/10, my first boil (with only a pitiful two gallons per tap) was 2/29 - almost three weeks after tapping! During that time period there were 11 days when the high temperature was 40 or above. (And also a number of lows in the teens or single digits).

My trigger finger is itchy too, but I'm gonna be patient.

Gabe O

[eustis22]

oh, FINE.

Killjoys.

[Kamina]

Exactly. I just checked my logs, and that year after tapping on 2/10, my first boil (with only a pitiful two gallons per tap) was 2/29 - almost three weeks after tapping! During that time period there were 11 days when the high temperature was 40 or above. (And also a number of lows in the teens or single digits).

My trigger finger is itchy too, but I'm gonna be patient.

Gabe O

You all have convinced me not to jump the gun on this. So tempting, but I am going to take the advice of those that know more than I do on the subject.

[berkshires]

You all have convinced me not to jump the gun on this. So tempting, but I am going to take the advice of those that know more than I do on the subject.

Please keep in mind that I'm just a little guy with a dozen taps, only been doing this a half dozen years. I am no expert, and I don't have a crystal ball. I do hope to learn from my mistakes, and share what I've learned, but I don't want to oversell my paltry expertise. For all I know, this year will be a repeat of a crazy year like 2012, where Feb was like March, and March was like April.

GO

[Biz]

I just looked up my first time boiling over the past 10 years and it is all over the map, although trending earlier. Start date is very weather dependent.
First boil dates:

2021 Feb 28
2020 Feb 24
2019 March 14
2018 Feb 12
2017 Jan 26
2016 Feb 21
2015 March 11
2014 March 20
2013 March 9 or maybe earlier
2012 March 4 (last day boiling was March 13!)

I was on buckets 2014 and before this so usually did not tap too early.

Dave

[Aaron Stack]

Finished up the chimney today. Putting the pan together tomorrow and will do a vinegar water soak for the week, testing the chimney at the same time when bringing up to almost boil. Then its wash wash wash.

[johnpjackson]

Hmm. Here in Western Mass - Montague. Forecast for the coming 8 days and nights is below freezing overnight lows, above freezing daytime highs. I was imagining the sap starting to run and having my taps and buckets deployed to catch it! Last year I put the taps out in early March sometime and thought I'd missed at least one good run by then. I was thinking I'd try to be in front of it this year. But I was just reading what others of you have been saying here. Makes me wonder if maybe it's still a little too early, despite the intriguing forecast!?

[LMP Maple]

Was in the woods all day today. I was really thinking I would tap on Wednesday but seeing the condition of the woods with the snow going to hold off until next week if we get another warm up. I'm going to take Friday off and get all my lines in and ready. I think this three day stretch will get the trees ready and it should be go time for the next good warm up that we see. My traditional tap time is the 24th of February but I think it will be a little earlier. I would not trust it but the extended forecast looks very promising for a good year. Fingers crossed.