2024 Tapping Season in CT

[voluntucky tapper]

over here in S E Ct put in 40 more drop line/bucket today wet drilling for every tap,nice ,i'l finish with the rest tap/bucket tomorrow,

[Woodsrover]

Collected 400? gallons yesterday morning and made first steam. Managed to sweeten the pan and still draw off a few gallons. Looks like this will be a good week.

[pyro]

It's been a few years since I've done this, going to try again this year. I haven't tapped yet. Seems like temps are heading below freezing after next weekend. Should I wait, or try to tap immediately and get what this week has to offer. On buckets.

[Mike Van]

There is a really great week coming for sap runs - If it gets cold again next week, no problem, it will warm again. Better that than a prolonged warm spell. Just my 2 cents.

[bryankloos]

Hows everyone doing this week?
I've been slower than expected....

[SkunkWorks]

Huge, about 1 gal/sap/day each day. I’m at 1/2 the syrup I made last year and I’m still not fully tapped, and its early February ?!? 2%.

[Sugar Bear]

Hows everyone doing this week?
I've been slower than expected....

I have not tapped yet but would have tapped my tubing/vacuum taps at the start of last week if I had my act together. This has definitely been the weather make up of an extra early tap date. However, my plan is to start after next weeks "apparent" freeze up, assuming I can get things done. Considering making syrup is my favorite of my current activities/engagements, I should find a way.

I am not surprised at sap flows. I suspect my trees would give about the same flow rates as yours. I know temps have been ideal ... the freeze thaw cycles and all ... and wood temps ideal for flow ..,,, and I know there is no evidence that the angle of the sun in the sky has any effect on sap flow rates according to the VERY high IQ's at the research centers. But I still say the last week of January will never turn into the last week of February. At least not in our lifetimes or our children's, and at least not as far as the trees are concerned. No matter how hard we try to make it or wish it so.

If its flowing sap we are after, we all should have tapped late last fall, when the woodpeckers start tapping.

Hopefully you have made some good syrup from this first run. I wish I had. You are on vacuum/tubing runs. Keep them sealed as well as possible and be ready for the coming weeks.

As we know ... It's possible the sap flow will end for the season this weekend.

But do NOT bet a single penny on any odds that it will!

[berkshires]

I am not surprised at sap flows. I suspect my trees would give about the same flow rates as yours. I know temps have been ideal ... the freeze thaw cycles and all ... and wood temps ideal for flow ..,,, and I know there is no evidence that the angle of the sun in the sky has any effect on sap flow rates according to the VERY high IQ's at the research centers. But I still say the last week of January will never turn into the last week of February. At least not in our lifetimes or our children's, and at least not as far as the trees are concerned. No matter how hard we try to make it or wish it so

Actually I would be very surprised to hear that there is no evidence for lower sap rate from researchers (given all else being equal) earlier in the season. Since it's the sun that makes it get warm, making the sap flow, of course we would see more sap from a longer day with stronger sun. I've certainly never seen the good doctor on here say anything to the contrary.

By the way, this is one of my pet theories about why sugaring is more lucrative the further north you go. The later you shift your sap season, the longer the days and the heavier the flow on sap days, due to longer days with stronger sun.

Cheers,

Gabe O

[Sugar Bear]

Actually I would be very surprised to hear that there is no evidence for lower sap rate from researchers (given all else being equal) earlier in the season. Since it's the sun that makes it get warm, making the sap flow, of course we would see more sap from a longer day with stronger sun. I've certainly never seen the good doctor on here say anything to the contrary.

By the way, this is one of my pet theories about why sugaring is more lucrative the further north you go. The later you shift your sap season, the longer the days and the heavier the flow on sap days, due to longer days with stronger sun.

Cheers,

Gabe O

No ... but I have heard the good doctor say that there is no evidence that the "angle of the sun" effects sap flow rates. And I certainly believe that and his research.

The "angle of the sun" is conveniently parallel with length of daylight in our system on our planet. The higher the angle the longer the daylight and Visa Versa. "Daylight length" and "angle of the sun" are synonymous terms on this scientific frontier. They are interchangeable with the system we rotate on. Warm temperatures and "Daylight length"/"Angle of the Sun" are not synonymous terms on our frontier. It's expected to get close to 60 degrees tomorrow but be cloudy. The sun, its angle and its duration have nothing or little to do with those 60 degrees at our cloud covered region.

But as Brian pointed out we have the warm temp days now and the warm wood temps with good freezing nights that we might expect in the first week of March but not the sap flow we expect and might get in the first week of March with the exact same weather/temps albeit slightly longer daylight/higher angle of the sun in the first week of March.

Seen it a time or two too many!

So, I propose that daylight length / angle of the sun "in and of itself" does effect/impact what the trees will decide to do. assuming appropriate ambient air and matter temperatures are already there.

No ... I have absolutely no evidence that is the case.

And I have no evidence that the planet we live on will not implode tomorrow.

So ..... I hope that gets my point across.

Sorry if it does not.

[Woodsrover]

Hows everyone doing this week?
I've been slower than expected....

I went and checked tanks and buckets last night expecting them to be overflowing. Not so. I expected to see 600 gallons and maybe I have 250-300. With luck I'll have 400+ to boil tomorrow but I guess we'll see in the morning.