Question about THinning

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

I am working on thinning out our Sugarbush and was looking for people's opinions. I am wondering if Yellow Birch are valuable enough (some are good logs) to save and maybe even tap someday. I've read on here people getting $80 a liter for Birch Syrup. I don't plan on saving anything on at least 3 sides of the Sugar Maples, but if on the fourth side it is a nice Yellow Birch, is it worth saving and tapping? I would guess in our woods we have well over a 1000 yellow birch's.

[maple flats]

The yellow birch aspect is up to you but if your woods need thinning badly, don't open 3 sides all at once. Too much removed all at the same thinning exposes the remaining trees to too much wind and windthrow is an issue. A more common name is up-rooting or blow downs. You will do best by opening 1 or 2 sides this year and after the trees respond in a few years open the 3rd, Normally you would open even slower to reduce epicormic branching (sprouting from dormant branch buds in the bark). This degrades a sawlog, but more leaves make more sugar so as a syrup producer we actually like it. The windthrow aspect is a real threat. Removing too much competition at one time exposes the remaining trees to more wind. These trees need time to develop the root structure to hold against the new wind. A tree grown in the open develops a wider root structure that one grown in a grove with "buddies" for protection. As you open the woods for better crown developement you must also give the root structure time to grow into it's new, bigger job. If you are in a relatively protected area I'd wait about 5 years, if you are in a wind prone area I'd wait 10 years before doing the next stage of opening the woods.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

Thanks for the information. In some areas, the three or four sides are already opened. So I may end up having some uprooting. but I will take your advise and take a more tactical approach rather than just killing everything that is trying to steal nutrients from my maples.

[PerryW]

Have you tasted Birch Syrup? My impression is that Birch tapping if for areas that have no maples.

[tuckermtn]

up until about 6 months ago, yellow birch logs were about the most reliable high grade sawlog. The market softened a little bit a few months ago, but having said that, yellow birch is still a very desirable sawlog. The nicest yellow birch I have ever cut came out of a sugarbush, so keep the value of the logs in mind as you go through your management planning. If you want specifics on prices and buyers, let me know...

[GeneralStark]

Thanks for the information. In some areas, the three or four sides are already opened. So I may end up having some uprooting. but I will take your advise and take a more tactical approach rather than just killing everything that is trying to steal nutrients from my maples.

I would also suggest taking a slow approach and not thinning too aggressively. In addition to the windthrow issues, letting a lot of light in all at once may allow any invasives to really take off in the understory. Their seeds are everywhere just waiting for light. They will be very difficult to manage and them taking nutrients from your maples will be the least of your issues.

Are the cull trees maples or other species? If they are maples you could tap them as you slowly thin them out and open up more space for the crop trees. Small maples will produce and they can be sweet.

Additionally, there is a good case to be made for maintaining a more diverse sugarbush and not removing everything but the maples. Monocultures tend to be more susceptible to disease and pests. There are several pests coming our way and it is best to be prepared.

[maple flats]

The General is right about invasives and mono culture. A diverse forest IS healthier, just skew it to maple. Stands hit the hardest in any infestation are the stands with little variety.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

All good information that will help me, thanks. And yeah I would be interested in prices for different types of wood. I am not cutting any Rocks at this point, just everything else. I am planning on a diverse wood lot with some ASH, Yellow B, White B, and Beech's. But hadn't considered dealing with the new undergrowth. I think from all the advise I have received I will open 2 sides for now and wait 3-5 years to see how the trees react before opening up the rest. Thanks again for the info.

On the other side of my question, does anyone know of an operation that makes Birch Syrup on a high vac system. I mean for me to tap the Yellow's in my woods it wouldn't be much more than tubing as I have a wet /dry grid on most of the property( or will soon) anyway. Does anyone know how much Syrup per tap a Yellow will produce if it's on 25" of vac (or even on gravity) I'm into making money using what you got. I know that usually in Vt and other high maple dense areas that it seems wrong to tap a yellow. But as I understand the seasons don't over lap. That Yellow Birch Syrup production happens just after Maple production ends, right? So in theory, I could untap my maples and tap the yellows using the same main lines. Maybe make 100 Gal of Birch Syrup at $300 per Gallon +/-. Seems like good money so long as you have an RO. Does anyone know of someone inf VT, NY, ME, NH who does this already? Not saying that is what I am going to do it, just curious if people have tried it around here

[BC Birch Tapper]

We've talked to several maple producers who have started tapping birch. They typically flow after maple & as you already have the infrastructure it would certainly be a good idea to give it a go. It is very different as it is a different tree, different sugar & different end use. We've sold the Birch Syrup Production Manual to several maple producers already.
You typically get 3 t o4 litres of sap per tree per day over the season but the sugar content is much lower than maple. Typically 100 or 120 to 1. Several folks are using RO's with good success.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

Is that 3-4 liters on vacuum, or gravity? And what do people use the stuff for? and how much does it really sell for? Thanks

I was also wondering if anyone knew information for me about my thinning of the Sugarbush. Is it is better to leave the tops in the woods or to pile and burn them?