When is it too early to tap?

[Gary R]

Aunt Stella's,

If I lived where your at I'd tap. I'm about 80 miles north of you. I will wait because it will not be that warm up here. You've said you have a lot of trees and you don't put in too many taps. Worst case, tap some more trees. If you don't have a lot of time, this cold weather will allow you to hold your sap until you can boil. I've had my taps in for 10 weeks and they still run.

[wcproctor]

Ha killingworthmaple where in CT are you ? Are you close to Mass?

[Brent]

I guess the bottom line is you won't know you've tapped too soon until it's too late.

Specifically, your holes are dried up and everyone near you is still getting a good run. Down your way I'm guessing that would be about the end of March or early April. Up here we don't tap till mid March.

[Goggleeye]

So starting now in SE Missouri Probably wouldn't hurt? Last year was my first year, and I tapped Jan 30.

[KenWP]

I tapped March 5 for some of my trees and they ran until April 20 then stopped when it stopped freezeing. They never ran until the 11th of march and then only a few cupfulls a day. This year who knows. Am worried if I don't tap early enough Theron will suck the trees dry on me.

[killingworthmaple]

I am the in southern part of CT down by the sound. Killingworth is where the sugar house is we tap trees on the Madison and Killingworth line.

Nathan

75 taps and growing
2x6 evaporator
16x16 finisher
3 Kids (sap Haulers)
1 Maple Widow (wife)

[Dave Y]

Aunt stella,
If you have trouble fitting sugaring into a 40hr work week do like i do extend the work week to 80hrs you will have more time. If you have an extended period of weather that has a good freeze thaw cylce through that period go ahead and tap. I have tapped presidents Day weekend for the last 7years, never made much syrup until march

[Hop Kiln Road]

In Scott Nearing's book he talks about his experiments of tapping in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb etc. and the results, which were pretty good. He did this back in the 1940's and obviously had metal spiles and buckets. The results he reported were drastically different from what people report today especially the length of time his tap holes produced sap. The only differences I see are: (1) his tap holes were slightly larger and (2) his metal spiles and buckets versus todays plastic and tubing. I suspect the bacteria rarely had a pathway back into the tree back then and perhaps the bacteria strains are becoming more resistant to the various washing techiques today.

[PerryW]

It will likely be nearly 2 months before I tap here in northern NH

[newman_maple]

I am going to tap about half my trees this weekend in southern Ohio.

I have similar forecasts as some of you. I have tapped in late January the last two years successfully. Last year, my trees started to bud the first week of March.

I think us in the southern range just have to jump in when the sap gets deep enough, regardless of what week it is.